Animal Services Assistant - Variable Hour Not Benefit Eligible

Salary to be commensurate with experience

The hiring range for this position is $19.08- $23.85/hourly

This is classified as VHNE (Variable Hour Non-Benefit Employee), where the selected candidate will work less than 29 hours per week. This position does not provide medical benefits. This position earns sick leave in accordance with the Healthy Families and Workplace Act.

** This job announcement is for collecting candidate applications for current and future Animal Services Assistants. Applicants will be contacted only when a position need is identified, and their qualifications match the position's needs. ** 

OVERVIEW OF POSITION / DEPARTMENT

The City of Aurora is seeking a skilled Animal Services Assistant to provide humane care and treatment for sheltered animals. This position will be cleaning and maintaining kennel facilities while helping patrons.

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Provides humane care, treatment and safe handling of animals in the shelter including feeding, cleaning, grooming and enrichment

• Degrease all interior and exterior kennel walls

• Sweep and mop all floors daily

• Empty all trash cans each day

• Wash and sanitize all food containers, water buckets and litter boxes

• Deep clean and sanitize every kennel once it is empty including bedding

• Wash, dry, fold and put away all laundry daily

• Dust and cleans all pipes and vents in kennel area

• Intake animals left in the night drop kennels and sanitizes kennel once empty

• Intakes animals brought in by the public to include photographing, vaccinating, weighing, data entry and kenneling

• Performs an initial physical exam to look for injuries or illness and reports to veterinary services, if found

• Traces microchips and tags for owner contact information on stray animals

• Assists with kenneling and movement of animals and updates animal records to reflect movement or change in status

• Educate prospective adopters in adoption of suitable pet: reviews and completes adoption paperwork andconducts dog-dog meet and greets

• Processes animals for release to their owners including verifying ownership, that the animal is cleared to be released to owner and providing owner with all medical paperwork

• Contacting an Animal Protection Officer if a summons has been initiated for the owner of the animal 

• Perform kennel inventory to ensure all animals are accounted for daily

• Responds to heavy phone call volume and calls back citizens who left messages and documents each phone call in a log

• Responds to citizen emails

• Provides citizens information on services offered by Aurora Animal Services

• Processes all paperwork and data entry for Community Cat Caretakers, Fancier’s Permit applicants, private trappers, guard dog permits

• Performs euthanasia and related tasks 

• Ability to safely use all shelter equipment efficiently

• Transports animals and cleans and maintains the transport vehicle

• Ability to administer microchips and all vaccinations to animals available for adoption

• Medicate sick and injured animals as needed

• Spot clean kennels throughout the day

• Provide differing enrichment items to the dogs and cats each day and cleans up after or walks dogs

• Assists in janitorial and light maintenance duties

• Maintains grounds including picking up trash

• Organize donated items and place in the appropriate area for each use

• Operate and close out the cash drawer daily

• Bathe dogs as needed

• Performs other related duties as assigned

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

Education:  

• High School Diploma or GED

Experience:  

• One year of animal related experience or customer service experience

Preferred Qualifications: 

• One year of experience working in an animal shelter

• Euthanasia Certification within one year

Knowledge:

• General knowledge of companion animal welfare, breeds and species

Skills:  

• Animal handling skills