Animal Care Specialist

Position Summary Your job in the department is to .
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Ensure safe and humane care for the animals at the Lincoln County Animal Shelter while providing excellent customer service to our community.
Your job also involves .
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Increasing live release rates and ensure the health and safety of shelter staff and animals.
Essential Functions/Major Responsibilities JOB FUNCTIONS Ensure the well-being and humane treatment of animals at the shelter: Provides daily care.
Observe and treat animals in care for disease and injuries.
Administer vaccinations and medications and provide enrichment.
Perform euthanasia.
Assist the public with adoption, lost/found, intake, redemption, and licensing of animals: Provide excellent customer service to the public by phone, email, and in the shelter.
Communicate professionally with volunteers, other shelters, rescue and animal welfare groups, veterinarians, Sheriff’s Office members and co-workers.
Work directly with the Lincoln County Volunteer program to help recruit, train, and maintain active volunteers for shelter work and special events.
Perform data entry of records pertaining to animals being received, adopted, redeemed, euthanized, and licensed.
Maintain paperwork and proper ID for animals in kennel area.
Create reports.
Responsible for appropriate handling and accounting of monies collected.
Typical Qualifications MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Minimum Education Level High School Diploma / GED Minimum Experience Level None Certifications Specifics: Must obtain certificate issued by the State of Oregon to perform euthanasia within one year of employment.
Driver’s License Oregon Driver's License required Specifics: An insurable driving record and a valid Oregon driver’s license within 30 days of appointment.
Desirable Qualifications: Experience in animal care in a shelter environment preferred.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND/OR ABILITIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
The required knowledge, skills and/or abilities are listed below: Knowledge of: Laws relating to animal welfare.
Animal care and handling, including medical care.
Skill or ability to: Handle detail-oriented tasks.
Keep records and handle money.
Maintain clean and sanitary kennel area.
Convey information, ideas, and facts both orally and in writing to supervisors, colleagues, and individuals, inside and outside the county, using language and a format the audience will best understand.
Utilize computers and other technology to communicate in written and verbal forms (e.
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, word processing, texts, emails, spreadsheets, department-specific software).
Effectively relate well with others, including supervisors, colleagues, and individuals inside and outside the county.
Exhibit a professional manner in dealing with others and working to maintain constructive working relationships.
Take personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work.
Show up to work on time, and follows instructions, policies, and procedures.
Meet productivity standards, deadlines, and work schedules.
Job Conditions and Physical Demands WORKING CONDITIONS Job Conditions: Working unsupervised on weekends and holidays.
Shifts may rotate.
Must be able to lift 50-75 pounds.
Requires working outdoors in all types of weather.
Involves working with difficult or hazardous situations dealing with animals.
Involves working in emotionally charged situations.
Position is at risk for exposure to hazardous chemicals and certain zoonotic diseases.
May experience exposure to hostile persons, abusive language, and threatening behavior.
Work Location: Lincoln County Travel: Occasional limited local travel for errands, to animal clinics, or events in county vehicle.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands are typical of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Must possess the physical capabilities to perform kennel duties, handle behaviorally challenged and fractious animals, and lift large animals.
ADA COMPLIANCE: Physical capability to handle high mobility demands and complex personal interactions.
Physical Ability: Tasks involve the ability to exert moderate to strenuous physical effort in moderate to strenuous work, typically involving some combination of stooping, kneeling, crouching and crawling, and which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of moderate to heavy weight (50-75 pounds).
Sensory Requirements: Most tasks require visual perception and discrimination.
Most tasks require oral communications ability.
Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds.
Environmental Factors: Tasks are regularly performed with exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, temperature and noise extremes, animals/wildlife.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS Lincoln County is committed to providing reasonable accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
This job description indicates, in general, the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities, and essential functions expected of the position.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Lincoln County offers a comprehensive benefit package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, long-term disability insurance.
Other optional insurances are availablE.
PERS retirement plan is provided to employees who are required to carry a gun.
For other employees in the LCDA unit, there is a 401K retirement plan with a current County contribution of 11%.
Regular and Trial Service employees working between 20 - 39 hours per week on a regular basis are eligible for pro-rated employee benefits.