Senior Animal Control Officer

Salary : $57,397.45 – $80,763.98 Annually

Location : Sacramento, CA

Job Type: Full-Time Career

Job Number: 015033-23-CDD

Department: Community Development Department

Division: Animal Services

Opening Date: 08/21/2023

Closing Date: 9/4/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

THE POSITION

Please Note: a candidate must successfully pass a thorough background investigation, including a criminal history check for job-related convictions, fingerprinting, polygraph test, credit check, and a drug use history to be considered for this position.

Under general direction, the Senior Animal Control Officer performs supervisory, training, and skilled work in planning, coordinating, and assigning animal control and compliance functions and may assume responsibility for field enforcement activities in the absence of the Supervising Animal Care Officer.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

The Senior Animal Control Officer is a supervisory level classification, in addition to performing more complex tasks in the enforcement of laws and ordinances related to animal control and compliance. The Senior Animal Control Officer is distinguished from the Animal Control Officer II in that the latter performs journey duties, while the Senior Animal Control Officer performs the full, first-line supervisory duties such as plan, evaluate, and assign the work of subordinates. This classification is distinguished from the Supervising Animal Care Officer in that the latter is an exempt level position that assists with the administration of the Animal Care Services Division, responsible for facility maintenance, and oversees and coordinates investigations.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Direction is provided by the Supervising Animal Care Officer or higher-level administrative or division manager. This classification provides technical and functional supervision to subordinate Animal Control Personnel.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Depending upon assignment, duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plan, assign, and review the work of subordinate personnel.
• Train subordinate employees via instructing them in department policies, laws, ordinances and proper techniques to be used in their work.
• Arrange for repair and routine maintenance of equipment.
• Submit requisitions for field supplies and equipment.
• Maintain inventory control for equipment issued to field officers.
• Investigate reports of animal cruelty, nuisances, and potentially dangerous animals; communicate with and advise owners of loose animals.
• Patrol City streets, neighborhoods, and/or other designated areas in order to monitor, remove, transport, and locate stray, vicious, trapped, injured, and/or dead animals.
• Rescue and impound stray animals; use remote chemical immobilization equipment; vaccinate, photograph, and process impounded animals prior to kenneling; transport injured animals to veterinary hospitals for treatment.
• Assist law enforcement personnel and other agencies by taking animals into custody due to death, emergencies, arrests, and/or police investigations. May be required to forcibly enter a residence to obtain an animal.
• Enforce City and State laws, regulations, and ordinances related to animal control.
• Compile case evidence and prepare animal control cases for court; provide court testimony and render opinions on the nature of case animals.
• Issue warnings and citations for violations of animal control regulations and may be required to testify in court or at administrative hearings.
• Safely operate rifles, shotguns, and tranquilizer equipment to capture, humanely euthanize animals, or defend the public from vicious or uncontrollable animals as necessary.
• Educate and provide the public with information regarding animal control laws, licensing requirements, owner responsibilities, and appropriate animal care.
• Make presentations to interest groups or organizations regarding animal care, including the legal statutes governing animal control.
• Maintain and safeguard assigned equipment and supplies such as citation books, computers, controlled substance, and animal control vehicles.
• Operate a computer and a two-way radio to maintain close communication with dispatching and subordinate personnel.
• Prepare and maintain a variety of animal control records, documentation, and reports.
• Provide courteous and professional customer service to those contacted in the course of work.
• Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed may necessarily be performed by each individual holding this classification.

QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:

• Basic principles and practices of supervision.
• Habits and characteristics of domestic animals and wildlife.
• Symptoms of common animal diseases.
• Principles and practices of customer service, including conflict resolution.
• Computer operations and applications.
• Current local and State codes, ordinances, laws and regulations governing animal control.
• Record keeping principles and practices.
• Methods and equipment used in handling various types of animals.
• Safe work practices necessary in the performance of the work.
• Animal cruelty and abuse investigation processes.

Skill in:

• Answering inquiries and providing factual and technical information.
• Handling criticism and hostility from citizens with tact and good judgment.
• Communicating clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Collecting, compiling, and analyzing basic information and data.
• Making field contact with various animals, some of which may be hostile and/or injured.
• Using common office computer software.
• Safe and proficient use of specialized law enforcement weapons and equipment.
• Providing courteous and professional customer service.
• Training or providing direction to others.

Ability to:

• Personally and direct others in safely caring for, disposing of, and handling animals in various situations.
• Understand and apply animal control codes, ordinances, case law, laws and regulations.
• Properly operate animal control equipment.
• Understand and comply with departmental policies, rules, and instructions.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with the public, community volunteers, and City personnel.
• Effectively plan, assign, and monitor the work of subordinate personnel.
• Timely prepare well-written, clear, concise, and well-substantiated reports.
• Efficiently and effectively perform assigned duties with significant independence.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Experience:

Three years of work experience in animal care or control, of which one year must be in public contact work and the enforcement of rules and regulations.

AND
Education:
Possession of a High School or G.E.D. equivalent.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS
Driver License:
Possession of a valid California Class C Driver License at the time of appointment. Loss of the Class C License is cause for discipline. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Certifications:Must possess or obtain the State of California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Penal Code 832 (Arrest and Firearms) Certificate during probationary period and throughout the course of employment. Failure to maintain the certificate could be cause for discipline.

Must possess or obtain the American Red Cross Standard First Aid Certificate during probationary period and throughout the course of employment. Failure to maintain the certificate could be cause for discipline.

Background:Must pass a background investigation, which includes a criminal history check for job-related convictions, fingerprinting, drug use history, and polygraph.

Felony Convictions:Free of felony convictions under California Penal Code Sections 29900 and 29905.

Medical/Drug Test:Must pass a medical and/or drug test.

Work Conditions:Must perform shift work as assigned, including days, evenings, weekends, and holidays. Standby duty is also required.

Environmental Conditions:Work outside in various types of weather and unsanitary environments. Incumbents must be able to work in or around dead people, human excrement, animal fur, dander, disorganized and/or substandard houses; deal with infectious, emotionally distressed and confrontational people and aggressive animals. Additionally, incumbents are exposed to and/or in contact with chemicals used to perform euthanasia and people who may be under influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Must be willing to obtain a pre-exposure rabies vaccination, and when medically required, revaccination shots.

Physical Conditions:Must be able to regularly lift, carry, restrain, and capture animals between 60-70 pounds; occasionally up to 100 pounds. Incumbents may be required to walk, run, stand, or climb on slippery, even or uneven, and paved or unpaved surfaces as welll as bend, stoop, squat, and crawl in small, low and/or confined areas.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD
Employees must complete twelve (12) months of probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.
THE SELECTION PROCEDURE

Please note, the City of Sacramento’s preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.

1. Application: (Pass/Fail) – All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application by the final filing deadline;

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted.
• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified:
  1. If applicants do not list current and/or past job-related experience in the duties area of the “Work Experience” section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).
  2. If “see resume” is noted in the “Work Experience” section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the “Work Experience” section.
• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position.
• If you’re requesting Veteran’s credit, a copy of your DD214 must be submitted online with your application, or sent to the Employment Office by email/fax or mailed by the final filing deadline. Information regarding the use of Veteran’s credit can be found in the Civil Service Board rules under rule
• Applicants are responsible for attaching a copy of their DD214 to each position for which they apply.

2. Training and Experience Exam: (Weighted 100%) – The questions located at the end of the application are the Training and Experience (T&E) Exam. Responses to the T&E questions will be rated and scored. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate’s education, training and experience. The exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. When completing the T&E questions, please note:

• Responses to the T&E questions must be submitted online; paper questionnaires will not be accepted.
• A resume will not substitute for the information required in the T&E questions.

3. Eligibility: Candidates who pass the Training and Experience Test will be placed on the eligible list. The hiring department may contact candidates for interview at any time during the life of the one-year list. Candidate’s eligibility expires one year from the date of notification of a passing score for the Senior Animal Control Officer Examination.

4. Screening Committee: (Pass/Fail)- All candidates that pass the examination and are in one of the top three ranks will have their application forwarded to the hiring department for review. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.

5.Background Process: If considered for appointment, candidates must pass a background investigation, which includes a criminal history check, fingerprinting, polygraph test, credit check, and drug use history.

6. Conditional Hire: If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.

QUESTIONS:
For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process.
• For technical support between 6 AM – 5 PM PT, contact Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627.
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at ;
• Send an email to ; or
• Call the Human Resources Department at (916) 808-5726

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That’s right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee’s Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant’s eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information
Civil Service Rules:

Union Contracts:

Salary Schedule:

01

APPLICATION: I understand my application must meet the minimum qualifications for consideration of employment with the City of Sacramento. The experience I list in the duties area of the “Work Experience” section of the employment application will be used to determine if I meet the minimum qualifications as stated on the job announcement. A resume, responses to the supplemental questions requiring a narrative response, employment history listed elsewhere in the application or attachments will not substitute for the information required in the “Work Experience” section of the employment application. Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).Please refer to the City of Sacramento’s Applicant Resources Page for Screening Instructions: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/HR/Divisions/Talent-Acquisition-and-Workforce-Development/Applicant-Resources

• Yes

02

I understand that I must pass a thorough background investigation, including a criminal history check for job-related convictions, fingerprinting, polygraph test, credit check, and a drug use history to be considered for this position.

• Yes

03

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE EXAMINATION: The following questions are the Training and Experience (T&E) Examination. In addition to the City of Sacramento employment application, applicants must complete and submit online responses to the T&E questions. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate’s education, training and experience. Therefore, your responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough and complete because the exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. In accordance with the City of Sacramento’s Racial and Gender Equity Action Plan (RGEAP), this examination contains non-binary names and pronouns. For additional information regarding the City’s RGEAP, please copy and paste the following link into a web browser: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/CMO/City-of-Sacramento-RGEAP-v810012020.pdf?la=enI understand and agree to the above instructions.

• Yes

04

Select all the boxes that best describe the approach you have used in having difficult conversations with community members when your solution to a problem does not align with their request.

• Be impartial and respectful to everyone’s problems, opinions, or concerns.
• Use of active listening skills
• Identify alternative positive outcomes
• Awareness of diversity and cultural differences
• Providing a recommendation of available resources
• None of the above

05

Select the one option that best describes your experience in balancing animal welfare, public safety, and the industry’s capacity for care.

• Five years or more
• More than four years but less than five years
• More than three years but less than four years
• More than two years but less than three years
• Less than two years

06

Select the one option that best describes your experience with preventing and implementing workplace safety hazards.

• Five years or more
• More than four years but less than five years
• More than three years but less than four years
• More than two years but less than three years
• Less than two years

07

Select the one option that best describes your experience investigating animal cruelty and abuse cases.

• Five years or more
• More than four years but less than five years
• More than three years but less than four years
• More than two years but less than three years
• Less than two years

Required Question