CITY OF BENTON

Animal Services Certified Veterinary Technician

Job Description

Job Title: Animal Services Certified Veterinary Technician

Department: Animal Services

Classification: Non-Exempt

Reports to: Animal Services Director

EEO Category: Full-time

Pay Grade: $35,360 - $55,972.80 or

                     $17.00 – 26.91 per hour

Summary

The Animal Services Certified Veterinary Technician is responsible for examining, diagnosing, treating, and euthanizing animals in the care of the City of Benton Animal Shelter. Work includes providing quality level veterinary medical services, as well as maintaining accurate records and reports. Work is performed under the general direction of the Animal Services Director, while adhering to the protocol and procedures approved by the Shelter Veterinarian. Position is deemed essential personnel and safety sensitive.

Essential Duties

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each of the following Essential Duties satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties of the position:

• Provide veterinary medical services that ensures welfare and proper care of animals within the shelter facility is maintained in all phases of shelter operation.
• Assesses the animal’s disposition and health when brought into the shelter. Examines, diagnoses, and treats injured and sick animals.
• Coordinates all medical activities at the shelter with the Animal Services Director, Animal Services Manager, Veterinarian, regarding animal welfare.
• Maintains required records of supplies used in euthanasia. (i.e., safekeeping and strict utilization accounting)
• Prepares and transports rabies specimens to the Arkansas Department of Health in a timely manner as required; maintains reports on test results for dog bites.
• Tranquilizes and euthanizes animals by injections; maintains accurate euthanasia records.
• Disposes of dangerous, injured, and dead animals found within the City limits.
• Performs surgical animal decapitations and prepares specimens for shipment to the State Health Department.
• Schedules appointments with local veterinarians for sterilization and other medical procedures.
• Prepares and maintains records of all treatments, diagnoses, and euthanasia.
• Maintain and store medical equipment and supplies including drug logs, check supplies for adherence specifications.
• Performs other veterinary and animal care responsibilities as directed by a licensed veterinarian or other supervisor.
• Cleans kennels and surrounding work areas within the shelter in accordance with proper disease control requirements.
• Assists in adoption fairs, educational programs for local organizations, and procuring volunteer services for care and grooming of animals.
• Performs routine maintenance and ground keeping duties on animal shelter facility.
• Will be required to work and serve on-call outside of normal business hours, including nights, weekends, and/or holidays as needed by the department, as needed.
• Maintains safe and effective work environment and complies with animal shelter procedures, policies, rules, and regulations.
• Performs other duties as necessary or assigned.

This job description and the enumerated Essential Duties are intended to provide general guidelines for job expectations and the employees’ ability to perform the position described. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned or assumed by the incumbent as necessary to fulfill the requirements of the position.

Environment & Physical Activity

The incumbent will spend most of the time performing this position in a professional office-type setting. The incumbent, while performing this position, spends time writing, keyboarding, speaking, listening, driving, seeing (such as close, color and peripheral vision, depth perception and adjusted focus), sitting, pulling, walking, standing, squatting, kneeling, and reaching. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. The office environment also has exposure to fumes, dust, toxic, or caustic chemicals. The position requires regularly driving a motorized vehicle. 

The incumbent for this position may operate any or all of the following: telephone, smart phone, copy and fax machines, adding machine (calculator), scanner and image systems, computer terminal, laptop computer, personal computer, tablet, printers, or other equipment as needed and/or directed.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is continuously required to talk or hear; frequently required to walk, sit, reach with hands and arms; and frequently required to stand, climb, or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and color vision.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The physical demands 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.

Mental Demands

The incumbent in this position must remain current and informed on related regulatory updates, City ordinances/resolutions/policies and applicable Federal, States, Municipal statutes, rules, and regulations. He/she must be able to read and understand documents, instruments, and highly technical reports; perform detailed work; and problem solving. Incumbents must also display proficiency in analytical reasoning, math, language, presentation skills, and verbal and written communication with internal and external customers. He/she must educate citizens and the public regarding City ordinances/resolutions/policies and the consequences of not adhering to them. Incumbent must be able to effectively manage deadlines, multiple concurrent tasks, and constant interruptions. He/she shall conduct departmental services/operations in a professional, effective, and efficient manner. Incumbent shall schedule work activities during employee’s absences (due to sick/vacation time) and distribute workflow appropriately. Incumbent must be able to work in a constant state of alertness and concentrate for long periods of time and foster a quality work environment by building employee trust and confidence.

Safety Sensitive

This position is designated as a safety sensitive position because it requires the regular handling of highly sensitive and confidential City and customer information on a routine basis as well as handling sensitive drugs and chemicals. Performing this job in a discreet and professional manner always requires alertness. Any lapse of attention could have a significant financial impact on the City and its customers, or on others while operating a motor vehicle.

minimum requirement & Competencies

Basic experience, knowledge and training in Animal Services typically resulting from a combination of education or years of experience in Animal Services or the equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of the positions.

Basic Qualifications:

• Must possess a valid Arkansas Driver’s License
• Possess an Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Technology, or equivalent.
• Passing scores on any/all applicable National and State Licensing Examinations for Veterinary Technology.
• Two (2) years of experience working as a Certified Veterinary Technician at a veterinary clinic, animal hospital, animal shelter, or related organization. Work experience must include surgical preparation of patients, anesthesia induction, and monitoring patients intra- and post- surgery.
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft 365

Knowledge

• Knowledge of humane capture, general care, handling and feeding of domestic animals.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements, City ordinances, applicable state, and local laws regarding departmental services/operations (e.g., rabies, animal cruelty, euthanasia, etc.)
• Knowledge of basic animal anatomy, chemicals, medications, and anesthesia used in Animal Services.

Skills

• Skill in organization and scheduling of work activities.
• Skill in technical/regulatory/safety issues related to department functions.
• Skill in reading/interpreting statutes, regulatory requirements and City ordinances governing departmental operations.
• Skill in operation of personal computer, database, and Microsoft 365.
• Skill in operation of customer service, dealing with volunteers, patience, and citizens.

Abilities

• Ability to communicate in a positive, friendly manner to employees, supervisors, coworkers, clients, etc. always.
• Ability to develop and maintain rabies control programs.
• Ability to develop and accurately maintain departmental records as mandated.
• Ability to consistently meet deadlines and complete assignments within specified time frames and use time and resources effectively to meet goals and complete assignments quickly and efficiently with little or no supervision.
• Ability to lift and carry animals.
• Ability and willingness to handle animals in a variety of situations, such as examinations, administration or medications, implantation of microchips, euthanasia, etc.
• Ability to accurately keep inventory of controlled substances.
• Ability to recognize normal versus abnormal behavior of common domestic animals and local wildlife.

Acknowledgement

Management reserves the right to change this job description at any time according to business needs. This document does not represent a contract of employment and is not meant to alter the at-will status of an employee’s employment in any way. The City of Benton reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, at any time, with or without notice, as it may deem appropriate.

Employee Name: ____________________________________

Employee Signature: _________________________________

Date: ________________