Kennel Technician I

Salary: $16.84 Hourly

Location : Animal Control – Frederick, MD

Job Type: Full-time Regular

Job Number: FY24-00100

Department: Animal Control Division

Opening Date: 08/15/2023

Closing Date: Continuous

JOB INFORMATION

The Frederick County Division of Animal Control is committed to serving the community through education and resources, humane law enforcement, and animal sheltering. We are proud of an impressive legacy of progressive thinking and community outreach that has reduced animal intake, reduced unwanted litters, and ultimately reduced animal euthanasia. Members of the Animal Control team, have a unique opportunity to not only make a difference for the homeless animals of Frederick County, but to engage in a rewarding career that demands hard work, integrity, high standards, and constant learning. Working with animals and serving the public–what better job could there be?
POSITION DETAILS:
Non-exempt; full-time; 40 hours per week; varying schedule during regular operating hours; full benefits

This position is responsible for the care and treatment of animals in custody or confinement at the Frederick County Animal Control Center, as well as other duties. Effective customer service/customer relations skills are required when assisting persons as they turn animals over to Animal Control and when assisting with the animal adoption process. Direction is received from the Kennel Technician Supervisor, under supervision from the Animal Control Director.

NOTE: This recruitment is open for the purpose of creating an eligible list of candidates to fill vacancies as they arise.

Frederick County Government recognizes 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 much 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 scheduled holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays
Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan option to include generous County HSA contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance benefit
Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
- Vesting after 10 years of service
- Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc
Other employee paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, etc.

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

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintain and thoroughly clean cages, runs and other common areas at the Animal Control Center (e.g. removing animal waste; mopping and scrubbing; sanitizing feeding equipment; and disinfecting areas where animals are kept, fed, watered and generally cared for, etc.)
Assist Animal Control Officers with incoming animals and equipment
Perform euthanasia procedures
Examine animals for general condition and report any illnesses, visible injuries or abnormal behavior of the animals
Administer inoculations, medication and first aid to animals as directed by the Veterinarian and/or Veterinary Technician, including the use of controlled substances
Maintain controlled substance logs and records
Control aggressive animals with proper and humane restraint
Move animals to/from cages/runs and “visiting” areas as part of the pre-adoption process; provide customers with information about breed characteristics of animals being considered for adoption, and suitability for placement in the customer’s home
Assist customers who are bringing animals for drop-off at Animal Control, discuss alternatives available to them; explain Animal Control procedures that will be followed if they choose to leave their animals
Assist with the inventory of kennel supplies and equipment
Perform other related duties as required

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. In addition to the duties listed in the Essential Duties section, each employee in this classification may perform the following other duties. Any single position may not be assigned all duties listed above, nor do the examples cover all duties that may be assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

The qualifications / requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical demands 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

18 years of age at time of application
High school graduation or the equivalent

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES:

Ability and willingness to perform euthanasia procedures (the humane destruction of animals)
Ability to successfully complete euthanasia training within 6 months of hire (includes a written examination)
Knowledge of (or the ability to learn) the tools, techniques and tranquilizing equipment used in the humane handling of animals, and ability to use them without endangering personal safety
Accurate math skills in order to calculate proper dosage per animal weight
Familiarity with animal species and breeds, with the ability to effectively identify them and discuss breed characteristics with customers who are considering animal adoptions
Strong and effective spoken and written (English) communication skills, including the ability to accurately complete clerical and record-keeping duties, and the ability to answer questions clearly and give information as described above
Ability to effectively complete assigned duties with minimal supervision
Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, volunteers and the general public

PREFERENCE MAY BE GIVEN FOR:

Prior kennel/veterinary work experience with cats and/or dogs
Experience working with cats and/or dog, or other animals in a business or commercial setting (personal pet care will not be accepted)

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS / WORKING CONDITIONS:

While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly walk, lift up to 20 pounds, lift between 20-50 pounds and reach; frequently stoop, push up to 40 pounds, pull up to 40 pounds and make repetitive motions; and occasionally lift over 50 pounds
While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly work indoors; frequently work outdoors, walk on uneven ground, work in dirt, dust and noisy environments and required to wear protective equipment; occasionally work in cold temperatures below 32 degrees, near chemicals or fumes and potentially exposed to infectious diseases.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / EXAMINATION PROCESS

Ability and willingness to obtain rabies pre-exposure vaccinations (at County expense)
Available for rotating shift assignments within Animal Control Division operating hours (6 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday; and 6 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. all other days)
This position is classified as Essential. Essential employees must report to work as scheduled, on holidays, snow days, weekends, or other days when other County facilities may be closed

EXAMINATION PROCESS (may include):

1) An evaluation of training and experience

2) A written examination

3) One or more interviews

4) A pre-employment physical examination and drug test

This description reflects management’s assignment of essential duties; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Retirement Plan:
A defined benefit retirement plan is provided for all regular County employees. Employees are automatically enrolled in either the Uniformed Plan (5 year vesting) or the Non-Uniformed Plan (10 year vesting) depending upon position classification. The majority of support for the plan is provided by the County; however, employees are required to make a mandatory pre-tax contribution towards their benefit. Retirement benefits are payable at normal, early or delayed retirement. Retirement benefits are also payable upon termination and in the event of death or disability.

Health Insurance:
County employees have a choice of two medical insurance plans, an In-Network (HMO) Plan or a High Deductible medical plan with a Health Care Savings Account, to provide coverage for medical and surgical expenses, hospital and emergency care expenses, mental health expenses and prescription drugs. The County and participants share in the cost of the health insurance with the employee having the benefit of pre tax contribution deductions. Medical insurance goes into effect on the first day of active employment.

Dental Insurance:
Employees may select coverage from one of three dental plan options, ranging from a PPO plan to a dental HMO plan. Coverage includes preventive care, fillings, crowns, bridges and dentures, and the cost of dental insurance is shared by both the County and the employee. Dental insurance goes into effect on the first day of the month that follows the eligible employee’s completion of 30 days of active employment

NOTE: Employees working 75% or greater of a 35 or 40 hour position are eligible for health & dental insurance.

Flexible Spending Accounts:
The Flex Spending plan allows employees to pay health and day care expenses with pre-tax dollars. Employees may set aside part of their salary in a special account that can be used throughout the year to reimburse themselves for out-of-pocket medical expenses. The maximum contribution is $2,700 per year for Health Care Spending and $5,000 for Dependent Care Spending (work-related day care expenses). Examples of expenses that can be reimbursed for Health Care Spending include, but are not limited to: deductibles, co-payments, dental fees, chiropractors’ services, and eyeglasses / contact lenses.

Life Insurance:
Employees are insured for 2 times their annual salary in case of death plus 2 times their annual salary for accidental death. Employees do not contribute to the premiums for this coverage. A Voluntary Life Insurance Program is offered to regular County employees. The plan allows employees to purchase individually owned term life insurance for themselves, spouses and dependents.

Savings Plan – Deferred Compensation:
The County offers a Section 457 Plan. Deferred compensation plans allow participants to save for retirement in either a pre tax or post tax (Roth) investment account. Contributions are invested at the employee’s direction into one or more of the variety of investment options offered by the plan. Changes may be made to the contribution levels, investment options, etc. at any time.

Educational Reimbursement Program:
County employees who have successfully passed their probationary period may take up to two job-related courses per semester at any accredited educational institution. The benefit also covers the costs of job-related non-credit courses. If the employee receives a grade of at least a C, or successfully passes a non-credit course, the County reimburses the employee 75% of the costs of tuition, fees and books. If an employee doesn’t remain employed with Frederick County Government for two years after a class is taken, the benefit needs to be reimbursed to FCG.

Employee Assistance Program:
This confidential assessment, referral and counseling service is available at no cost to all employees who may need help with a personal or job-related problem.

Leave
Annual Leave – Employees are eligible to use Annual Leave after their 6 month probationary period. Annual Leave accrues as follows: Years of service days per year
0 – 2 years 11 days
2 – 10 years 17 days
10 + years 24 days

Sick Leave – Employees will earn sick leave at a rate of 15 days per calendar year.

Sick Leave may also be used for illness of an employee’s child, dependent, spouse, parent or parent-in-law. There is no limit on the amount of sick leave accumulated. Unused Sick Leave may be used for additional credit in the pension plan at the time of retirement.

NOTE: Regular benefited part-time employees earn annual and sick leave on a pro-rated basis based on their actual number of hours worked biweekly up to their assigned number of regularly scheduled work hours.

Other available types of leave include, but are not limited to, Family Medical Leave, Bereavement, Jury, Military.

Holidays:
The County observes 10 holidays every year and 11 are observed on years of General Elections.

For additional information on Frederick County Governments benefit package, please visit the Division of Human Resources website at

All hires before January 1, 2012, will follow the all benefit and leave rules as described in the Personnel Rules amended October 3, 2013.

Have you obtained your high school diploma or the equivalency?

Are you at least 18 years of age?

Do you have a valid automobile operator’s license?

Do you have kennel and/or veterinary experience?

Please provide details regarding that work history in the text area below. The work history details provided should include the employer or organization name, dates of employment/service and the duties you performed. NOTE: If Human Resources staff is unable to confirm your related work experience, based on the information submitted, you will not be granted the requirement.

Do you have experience working with cats, dogs, or other animals in a business or commercial setting?NOTE: Personal pet care will not be accepted.

Do you have the willingness to perform euthanasia procedures (the humane destruction of animals), if needed?

The Animal Control Center is open Monday – Sunday with various hours of operation, as indicated above. Are you available to work weekday and weekend evening hours, to maintain Animal Control Center operation?

This position is classified as Essential. Essential employees must report to work as scheduled, on holidays, snow days, weekends, or other days when other County facilities may be closed. Are you willing and able to work on holidays, snow days, weekends as scheduled? This schedule is NON-NEGOTIABLE.

Required Question

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Job Category

Animal Care

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Job Type

Full Time/Permanent

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Salary

USD 16.84 per hour

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Country

United States

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City

Frederick

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Career Level

unspecified

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Company

Frederick County, MD

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JOB SOURCE

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/frederickmd/jobs/4164784