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 animalsAssists 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 and conducts 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 

• Providing friendly customer service 

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills 

• Strong attention to detail 

Abilities:   

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees and citizens 

• Handle sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy 

• Ability to complete work without close supervision 

• Provide humane care and treatment for a variety of animals 

• Perform euthanasia 

• Creatively solve problems, negotiate and handle stressful situations in a positive manner 

• Operate a city vehicle 

Licenses and Certifications Required:   

• Valid Colorado Driver’s License 

WORKING CONDITIONS  

Essential Personnel:  

• When a local announcement of emergency or disaster is declared by the City, all City of Aurora employees may be required to work as essential personnel. 

Physical Demands: 

• Medium work that involves moving no more than 50 pounds with or without assistance at a time 

• Subject to animal bites and scratches 

• May require frequent pushing, pulling, bending and stooping 

• Clear vision to read and interpret notes and other written documents 

• Speech communication and hearing to maintain communication with employees and citizens 

• Hand/eye coordination for operation of computer keyboard 

• Foot/eye coordination for operation of a motor vehicle 

• Speech communication and hearing to maintain communication with employees and citizens 

Work Environment: 

• Works primarily indoors in a shelter setting with exposure to dust, water, noise, animal dander, odors and fumes, but may occasionally work outside assisting at outreach events 

Equipment Used: 

• Uses standard office equipment including personal computer and common office software such as email, internet, Word, Excel and shelter Chameleon database 

• This position may require the incumbent to use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle, cell phone, tools, etc.) in the course of their employment. 

• This position may require the use of hand tools and equipment common to kennel operations