Animal Care Specialist

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Animal Care Specialist

Salary

$16.50 Hourly

Location

Fort Myers, FL

Job Type

Occasional

Job Number

07014KL

Department

Animal Services

Opening Date

03/19/2024

Closing Date

Continuous

• Description

• Benefits

• Questions

Description

This is a highly responsible position in the public animal shelter. Responsibilities include animal handling, ensuring wellness, daily cleaning, customer service, performing administrative tasks, as well as other shelter duties.

The successful candidate will have a positive, team-minded attitude; strong communication skills (written and verbal) allowing for efficient communication with teammates and management; excellent observational skills; a strong work ethic with the ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities appropriately; and the flexibility required to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

This position is physical and will keep you active; expect to be on your feet the majority of the day.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Receives, screens, and assists customers in the pet adoption process, proper pet care, and owner responsibilities, including educating customers on various pet breeds, characteristics, licensing and County ordinance requirements; resolves customer complaints or concerns by exercising fair, independent judgment while following state statutes and local ordinances.

• Handles the physical intake and transfer of all animals including but not limited to fractious/feral animals while exercising proper safety techniques; cares for animals including cleaning, grooming and feeding; disinfects cages, toys, and bowls; works with fearful and aggressive animals; assesses animal behavior and temperament for adoption.

• Investigates pet owner information while verifying accuracy of data for each animal within the department database and schedules appointments for the sterilization of animals.

• Vaccinates stray and owned animals upon intake and performs testing for various zoonotic diseases when necessary; maintains knowledge of zoonotic diseases and observes animals for signs of illness or behavioral problems.

• Performs diagnostic testing including blood work, fecal examination, microchipping, and preventative medications; enters medical information into computer software; transports animals to clinics and rescues; performs euthanasia as part of disease and population control.

• Helps customers with lost pets; matches pets with potential adopters; maintains knowledge and recognition of animal breeds, age, and characteristic to determine proper intake of each animal; identifies behavioral and medical health concerns for stray and owned animals upon intake.

• Trains new staff for the department in job functions such as animal handling, vaccinating, and database use.

• Handles cash and performs data entry for the compliance of citations and advises customers on proper citation compliance procedures; organizes, stores, files, and copies pertinent documents for the entire database in the proper storage facility; issues pet licenses that arrive through the mail and to customers present at the shelter.

• Performs related work as assigned.

Education, Experience, Licensing

• Requires High School graduation or GED equivalent.

• Animal handling experience is preferred.

• Required possession of Florida State Certification in Euthanasia or be able to obtain within 6 months of hire date. The Animal Services department will train and certify on-site for this upon hire.

• Possession of a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record is required.

Supplemental Information

• Position requires daily computer use.

• Ability to lift up to 80 pounds, bend, stoop, lift, and crawl as necessary for handling and transporting of animals, equipment and supplies.

• H ours will vary 7:00 am - 5:30 pm, rotating days off. This position will require working on holidays, emergencies and additional shifts as needed.

  DISCLAIMER: The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this classification. All positions are subject to a criminal background check. A conviction in and of itself may not necessarily preclude employment. Some positions may be subject to a pre-employment drug screening. Certain service members and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such service members and veterans, who claim and meet eligibility requirements of veterans preference, receive preference and priority in employment and are encouraged to apply.

Lee County Board of County Commissioners offers a comprehensive, and affordable benefits package. Our Board works in the best interest of employees and strives to provide the most complete, high-quality benefits package available at the lowest possible cost to the employee. Our Board continues to remain steadfast in maintaining one of the lowest levels of employee costs in our area.

Lee County's benefits package is offered to both regular Full-time positions and Part-time positions that are regularly scheduled to work 60 hours or more bi-weekly. Medical benefits may be offered to On-Call, Temporary, Seasonal, and Intern employees who meet the Affordable Care Act eligibility criteria.

Lee County employees eligible to participate in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) are required to contribute 3% of each paycheck to FRS. If you have retired from the Florida Retirement Pension plan you will not be eligible for renewed membership in either of the FRS retirement plan options. Retirees of the Investment Plan are eligible for renewed membership in the Investment Plan only. FRS reemployment rules apply for both.

Below is a brief breakdown of what's included in the benefits package that is offered to our employees.

For a more detailed look into our benefits package, please click visit our webpage at https://www.leegov.com/hr/employees/benefitplans.

To view our employee paid premiums, please visit: https://www.leegov.com/hr/Documents/Employee%20Benefits/2024%20Benefits/2024%20Active%20Employee%20Rates.pdf

Health Benefits:

• Medical Insurance

• Plans include, but are not limited to: routine, preventative, mental health, hospitalization, and prescription drug benefits.

• Vision, Fitness, Weight Management, Natural Products and Services, and Hearing discount programs available.

• Dental Insurance

• Vision Insurance

• Flexible Spending Accounts

• Medical Reimbursement Account

• Dependent Care Reimbursement Account

• Pharmacy, including Mail-Order Pharmacy

• Informed Health Lines (Nurse Hotline)

• Basic Life Insurance (1x or 2x Annual Salary at no cost to employee)

• Optional Life Insurance

• Long-Term Disability (60% of pre-disability salary at no cost to employee)

• Short-Term Disability

• Sick Leave Pool

• Flu vaccinations

• Wellness Programs

Financial Benefits:

• Florida Retirement System (FRS)

• Two Retirement Plan Options:

1) FRS Pension Plan (Defined Benefit)

2) FRS Investment Plan (Defined Contribution)

• Deferred Compensation (457) Plans

• Financial Savings/Management Programs

• Eligible for membership with Suncoast Credit Union

• Employee Leave Benefits

• Holiday Pay - 11 Paid Holidays Annually

• Paid Sick Leave

• Paid Vacation Leave

• Bereavement & Civic Duty Leave

• Family and Medical Leave

• Military Family & Medical Leave

• Educational Leave

Employee Assistance Program

Services available to employees that offers guidance, support, resources and information for personal and work-life issues. Confidential and provided at no charge to employees and their dependents.

United Way 2-1-1 (Lee County Employee Resource Program)

Lee County BOCC has partnered with United Way 211 to provide an Employee Resource Program which assists BoCC employees who may be experiencing distress due to economic hardship, health or other factors.

Educational Assistance

Reimbursement for coursework taken at an accredited college or university that is designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities relating to the official duties that the employees perform.

01

This is an on-call position with varied days and hours. Are you able to work this schedule?

• Yes

• No

  02

  Do you possess any combination of education and/or experience equivalent to graduation from high school or GED?

• Yes

• No

  03

  Do you possess a Florida State Certification in Euthanasia? OR Do you have the ability to obtain a Florida State Certification in Euthanasia within 6 months of hire date? (The Animal Services department will train and certify on-site for this upon hire.)

• Yes

• No

  04

  Do you possess a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record?

• Yes

• No

  Required Question

Agency

Lee County Government

Address

P.O. Box 398 ATT: Human Resources Fort Myers, Florida, 33902

Phone

(239) 533-2245

Website

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/leecounty

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