Animal Control Officer at Frederick County Government – Frederick, Maryland

NOTE: The upper pay range reflects possible wage rates for internal County transfers and promotions, which are calculated per County policy. For external hires, offers are made at the base wage rate.

Frederick County Government values the principles of diversity and inclusion, and strives to ensure equal opportunities for its workforce, applicants and community members. If you are a person who wants to make a difference, give back to your community, and be a voice for change, apply to Frederick County Government today.

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE:
Frederick County offers an extensive compensation package to reflect how highly we value our employees. The following is what you can expect in your first year as a full-time benefited Frederick County Government employee.

• 11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
• 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
• 11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays (10 and 11 month employees may not receive all holidays)
• Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan options to include generous County Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
• Employee Health Center with no or low-cost primary and urgent care
• 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit
• County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
  • Vesting after 5 years of service
  • Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc.
• Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Other employee-paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Lifetime Benefit with Long Term Care plan

NOTE: Benefited employees will accrue service and leave based on the FTE and/or hours worked per calendar year.

For more information, visit our benefits page on the Frederick County Government job opportunities webpage.

• Respond to calls received at the Animal Control Center concerning animal bites, livestock kills, stray and injured animals, etc.
• Educate the public in the proper care of animals
• Enforce animal and fowl regulations and other relevant sections of the Frederick County Code, Frederick City Code and Maryland State Code, including transportation of domestic and wild animals to the Center when necessary
• Compile, prepare and submit related forms and reports, including controlled substance logs and records
• Participate in investigative efforts regarding animal cruelty cases
• Assist with the collection of evidence and the preparation of Statements of Probable Cause, Statements of Charges and other related documents
• Assist other law enforcement agencies and their efforts
• Perform euthanasia procedures as required
• Perform dispatch and communication duties, and maintain related logs and records as needed
• Maintain all assigned equipment
• Perform other related duties as required

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The essential duties do not cover all duties that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The qualifications/requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical requirements or working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• High school graduation or the equivalent
• Minimum 2 years of work experience caring and handling animals in a setting such as a veterinary clinic, boarding kennel, animal shelter or similar setting (care of personal pets is not accepted)
• Possession of a valid automobile operator's license
• Emergency Vehicle Operator's Course certification (MFRI or a comparable certification body), or able to complete the EVOC within 1 year of hire

• Ability to maintain County Authorized Driver privileges
• Ability and willingness to successfully complete on-going related training that includes (but is not limited to): Animal Control Officers Academy (within 1 year of hire); 3 levels of Cruelty Investigative School through Law Enforcement Institute, U of MO (within 3 years of hire); euthanasia training with written examination (within 6 months of hire); Oleoresin Capsicum (O.C.) and monadnock (expandable baton) training through local law enforcement (within 1 year of hire)
• Ability and willingness to obtain rabies pre-exposure vaccinations (at County expense) immediately following hire
• Ability and willingness to travel out of the area (at County expense) as needed for education and certification purposes
• Knowledge of the tools, techniques and tranquilization equipment used in the humane handling/restraining of animals, and ability to use them without endangering personal safety
• Ability and willingness to perform euthanasia procedures (the humane destruction of animals)
• Ability and willingness to perform surgical procedures on euthanized animals to obtain specimens for rabies testing
• Ability to learn State, County and City animal and fowl regulations and other relevant sections of those Codes
• Familiarity with and the ability to effectively identify animal species and breeds
• Knowledge of roads and communities in the Frederick County area or the ability to learn
• Ability to learn and comply with two-way radio communications regulations and standards
• Effective spoken and written (English) communication skills including the ability to accurately complete related forms and reports
• Accurate math skills in order to calculate proper dosage per animal weight
• Ability to develop and maintain effective, professional working relationships with co-workers, law enforcement and government agencies and the general public

• While working in this position, the employee is required to frequently sit, walk, lift up to 20 pounds and drive; occasionally lift between 20-50 pounds.
• While working in this position, the employee is required to frequently work indoors and outdoors; occasionally walk on uneven ground.
• Sound physical condition in order to respond to the spontaneous physical demands of comprehensive animal control duties (e.g. restraint and control, capture, foot pursuit, search, animal transport, etc.)

• Available for shift work as assigned within Animal Control Center operating hours (Monday - Sunday 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.) and available on-call for emergency situations
• This position is designated as security-sensitive, requiring a satisfactory background investigation conducted by the Frederick County Sheriff's Office in accordance with established Frederick County policy. Estimated completion time for this background investigation is at least 30 days.
• This position is subject to random drug testing
• Listed certifications and licenses must be maintained current while employed in this position