Animal Control Officer

Animal Control Officer

Salary

$46,663.00 - $73,399.00 Annually

Location

Animal Control, VA

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

04542

Department

POLICE-ANIMAL CONTROL

Opening Date

06/09/2026

Closing Date

6/23/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

Under general supervision, performs semi-skilled work for the City in the enforcement of ordinances and statues related to the control of animals and the operation of an animal shelter. Work involves capturing, confining, and euthanizing stray, diseased, and dangerous animals. Employee is also responsible for maintaining the animal shelter in a clean and safe condition, and feeding, handling, and providing custodial care to animals in the shelter. Employee must exercise independent judgment and initiative in ensuring proper care for animals. Employee must also exercise tact, courtesy and firmness in frequent contact with animal owners and the general public. Employee is subject to the usual hazards of animal control work. Reports to the Chief Animal Control Officer.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

Essential Job Functions

• Responds to requests for service, euthanizing, capturing and confining stray, diseased and dangerous animals, including domestic and wild animals, livestock and fowl.
• Responds to after-hours calls concerning animal emergencies.
• Maintains the animal shelter in a clean and safe condition, and feeding, handling, and providing custodial care to animals in the shelter.
• Captures, confines, and euthanizes stray, diseased, and dangerous animals.
• Euthanizes vicious, diseased and unclaimed animals utilizing humane methods.
• Impounds animals and places them within the animal shelter according to size, sex, needs, and circumstances involved in pick-up.
• Investigates cases of cruelty to animals, stolen dogs and the shooting of animals; writes summons; prepares offense and progress reports; appears in court and testifies.
• Cleans and disinfects kennels and cages to provide a suitable environment for the animals; makes routine inspections of all animals and their cages for their health and welfare and the safety and cleanliness of their cages; maintains grounds of animal shelter.
• Investigates animal bite cases; ensures that confinement of such animals is proper and complete according to the law; decapitates animals who are suspected to have rabies and have died while in confinement.
• Answers telephone, and greets visitors; receives inquiries and provides information or refers inquiries to appropriate personnel.
• Prepares reports on all stray and surrendered animals.
• Provides credible testimony in a court of law.
• Assists the public in searches for lost pets; provides information and counseling to animal owners regarding provisions of the law.
• Speaks to public schools and other organizations concerning animal control.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Required Qualifications

Graduation from high school or completion of GED supplemented by additional training in animal control, and some work experience involving contact with animals; or any equivalent combination or training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities. Requires a valid drivers license. Must be able to qualify with issued firearm(s).

Supplemental Information

• Knowledge of laws and ordinances related to humane animal collection, care and disposal methods.
• Knowledge of the geography of the City.
• Knowledge of safety practices concerning the handling of animals.
• Ability to use equipment for capturing and euthanizing animals.
• Ability to operate and maintain a lawn mower and associated groundskeeping equipment.
• Ability to prepare and maintain records concerning daily activities.
• Ability to exercise tact and courtesy in explaining and enforcing State laws and local ordinances pertaining to animal control.
• Ability to exercise initiative and independent judgement in applying laws and ordinances to work situations.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to maintain readiness to work on a 24-hour, call-in basis.
• Ability to exercise tact, courtesy and firmness in frequent contact with animal owners and the general public.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.
• Ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
• Ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving instructions, assignments and/or directions from superiors.
• Ability to read a variety of records and forms. Requires the ability to prepare reports, forms and correspondence using prescribed formats. Requires the ability to speak to people with poise, voice control and confidence, including communication over a two-way radio.
• Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Requires the ability to assess critical situations and establish methods to resolve such situations.
• Ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages, including veterinarian and legal terminology, and emergency response codes.
• Ability to utilize mathematical formulas. Must be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide.
• Must be able to utilize decimals and percentages.
• Ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

Part-time Employees - Sick Leave (See below)

Full Time Employees are eligible for the following benefits;

Retirement

Vested after 5 years in the defined benefit plan. Vested in phases based on years in the Defined Contribution part of the Plan. Please contact the Virginia Retirement System or the Human Resources Department for more details.

Annual Leave Accruals

Sworn Police - 40 Hours/ Fire - 96 Hours (1-59 months), 120 Hours (60-119 months), 144 Hours (120- 179 months), 168 Hours (180-239 months), 192 Hours (240+ months) of employment.

Sworn Fire Suppression: 144 Hours (1-59 months), 180 Hours (60-119 months), 216 Hours (120-179 months), 276 Hours (180-239 months), 288 Hours (240+ months) of employment.

Sick Leave

Full Time employees earn 12 days per year, (accumulating 8 hours per month). Part Time employees earn 4 hours per month Sick leave accrues at the end of the month and may be accrued with no ceiling

Personal Leave

All regular full time employees are granted 24 hours of personal leave each calendar year. Personal leave must be preapproved and is not cumulative.

Health Insurance

Coverage available for you and your eligible dependents using pre-tax payroll deductions if elected.

Supplemental Insurances

Employees may purchase the following supplemental insurance policies: short term and long term disability, cancer, accident, supplemental hospitalization, and group universal life insurance. Only employees hired prior to 1/1/14 may purchase short-term disability and long term disability plans.

Employer Sponsored Short Term and Long Term Disability

Provides disability coverage for employees work and non-work related disabilities. Work related disabilities are covered starting on day one (1). Non work related disabilities are covered starting on day eight (8), after you have been employed for one year.

Flexible Spending Accounts

Employees may participate in the Health Reimbursement, Dependent Care Reimbursement and Premium Reimbursement Accounts. All deductions are made on a pre-tax basis and will reduce your taxable income.

Life Insurance

The city pays the entire premium for life insurance coverage in the amount of 2 times annual salary for natural death and 4 times annual salary for accidental death.

Optional Life Insurance

Employees have the option of electing additional life insurance coverage in the amount of 1, 2, 3 or 4 times their annual salary. Employees may only purchase optional life insurance on spouses and children if they are enrolled in optional life insurance for themselves.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

12 weeks of job protected leave for leaves approved in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act. Employees receive continuation of health insurance, job protection and consideration for a comparable job when available, or an equivalent job, upon return to work.

Funeral Leave

24 hours of paid leave of absence in case of death in immediate family.

Holidays

The City of Suffolk follows the Virginia State holiday calendar as set by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Jury Duty

Time off with pay with difference between jury pay and regular pay or use annual leave and keep check.

457 Deferred Compensation, ROTH IRA, Traditional IRA

Offered through ICMA Retirement Corporation as a way to shelter a portion of your salary from income taxes and save for retirement.

Employee Assistance Program

Offers employees and immediate family members (3) free, confidential counseling sessions related to a broad range of issues such as marital or family conflict, job or personal stress, alcohol or drug abuse, financial or legal worries, etc.

Workers Compensation

Should an employee have an on the job injury, he/she could be eligible for Workmens Compensation Benefits, except in cases of willful neglect.

Pay Days

Employees will be paid on the 15th and last working day of each month.

Credit Union

A Suffolk Credit Union is available to employees.

Legal Services

Employees may prepay for access to legal assistance.

Notary Public Services

Services available in the Human Resources Department.

01

Are you at least 20 years and 6 months of age today?

• Yes
• No

02

Do you have a high school diploma or GED?

• Yes
• No

03

Do you have a valid drivers license?

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have any previous experience working in an animal shelter?

• Yes
• No

05

Which of the following best describes your experience caring for animals?

• 0 to less than 1 year
• 1 year to less than 2 years
• 2 years to less than 3 years
• 3 years to less than 4 years
• 4 years to less than 5 years
• 5 years to less than 6 years
• 6 years to less than 7 years
• 7 years to less than 8 years
• 8 years to less than 9 years
• More than 9 years

06

Illegal drug involvement in any of the following: • the sale of or distribution of illegal drugs. • possession of a schedule I or II drug or any derivative thereof within the last five years (excluding marijuana). • use and/or possession of anabolic steroids within the last five years. • use of any drug classified as a hallucinogen within the last five years.

• Yes
• No

07

Have you ever been convicted of any of the following: • felony; • domestic violence; • founded child abuse or neglect; • embezzlement or misappropriation of funds; or • any crimes of moral turpitude (lying, cheating, stealing)

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer City of Suffolk

Address 442 W. Washington Street, Suite 1044

Suffolk, Virginia, 23434

Phone 7575144110

Website http://www.suffolkva.us