ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER III
Job Description
TYPE PF RECRUITMENT: We welcome applications from anyone!
The application filing period will begin on June 25, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. (PT) - Continuous. We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.
An innovative animal care and control agency with state-of-the-art facilities providing animals and residents high quality, effective, and caring service.
As an Animal Control Officer III you will serve as lead Animal Control Officer by assisting in the operation of an Animal Care Center/Shelter and in enforcing State, County and City codes and ordinances governing animal control functions such as animal care, field enforcement, shelter maintenance, licensing, and related assignments.
THE TEAM MEMBER WE ARE SEARCHING FOR
We are looking for an extraordinarily dedicated and compassionate person who has a demonstrated history in animal care and control. Our ideal applicant is driven, with excellent communication skills and the capacity to work in coordination with within a diverse group. You should be motivated to effectively carry out animal control strategies and give to making Los Angeles a safer environment for both animals and residents.
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL
The County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control is one of the largest and most progressive animal control agencies in the United States. Our seven animal care centers serve over 3 million residents across 45 contract cities and unincorporated areas. We cover a diverse area of more than 3,400 square miles, providing 24/7 animal control and rescue services.What will you do:
- Serve as lead Animal Control Officer performing investigations in the more complex cases involving enforcement of animal control regulations which are likely to require knowledge of court decisions or intent of the law.
Review field reports and citations prepared by Animal Control Officers for completeness and accuracy, make necessary corrections and refer reports to higher-level personnel for review, as required.
Maintain effective relations with other County departments, outside agencies, contract cities and the public.
Handle the more dangerous animals; assist and advise Animal Control Officers with enforcement and investigative problems; capture animals which require the use of tranquilizer equipment.
Serve as office information officer and radio dispatcher; receive in-person and telephonic requests for information and animal control services from citizens and public agencies; answer questions and dispatch officers to incidents, as required.
Issue citations, licenses, warnings and/or legal notices.
Review and assesses the performance of staff and prepare performance evaluations.
Perform other duties to provide training or to meet technological changes or emergencies, as necessary.
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:
Three years of experience at the level of Animal Control Officer I* for an animal control/regulatory agency.*
Possession of certification indicating successful completion of training program per California Penal Code Section 832**
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS INFORMATION:
*Experience at the level of Animal Control Officer I refers to experience enforcing State, County and City codes and ordinances governing animal control including the care and treatment, impounding, quarantine, licensing vaccination, and regulation of a variety of animals even if your title isn't exactly the same as the one listed. Please provide a clear explanation of your experience to demonstrate that your job involves similar responsibilities, requires comparable skills and knowledge, and takes place within a similar organizational structure.
**A copy of a P.C. 832 Certificate - (Penal Code Section 830.9 required training in order to issue citations and service warrants for Animal Control Officers) must be attached to the application at the time of filing.
If you are unable to attach the required documents, you must either email them to [email protected] or fax them to (562) 422-3187 within fifteen (15) calendar days of filing. Please include exam number and exam title. We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.Out-of-class work experience in the service of the County of Los Angeles will not be accepted for this examination.
No withhold will be allowed. Required experience must be fully met at the time of filing, and clearly indicated on the application.
LICENSE:
A valid California Class C Driver License
The required license MUST be current and unrestricted; conditional, provisional, probationary or restricted license will not be accepted.
Successful applicants for positions that require driving must obtain a copy of his/her driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before final appointment. Applicants should not present a copy of their driving history until asked to do so by the hiring department. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether an applicant's driving history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job. License must not be currently suspended, restricted or revoked.
PHYSICAL CLASS:
Physical Class 4 - Arduous. This class involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds, often combined with bending, twisting, or working above ground on irregular surfaces. It includes those positions that occasionally demand extraordinary physical activity such as those in Safety positions.EXAMINATION CONTENT:
This examination consists of two (2) parts, weighted 100% total.
PART I: Multiple choice and/or simulation assessment(s) weighted 75% measuring:
Safety Orientation, Achievement, Teamwork, Responsibility, and Deductive Reasoning.
MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS AND SIMULATION ASSESSMENTS ARE NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19.
PART II: An Evaluation of Training and Experience (T&E) weighted 25% assessing competencies gained in the following areas:
- Completion of trainings and/or possession of current professional certifications/licenses in an animal care related area
- Experience enforcing animal care and control laws
- Experience safely handling animals as an Animal Control Officer
- Experience patrolling a geographic area and responding to animal-related incidents
- Experience with safe animal handling tools and/or equipment
- Experience overseeing the activities of staff
Candidates must meet the requirements, and achieve a combined passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the Eligible Register.
NOTE: Many important notifications including invitation letters/test results letters/application rejection letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add [email protected] as well as [email protected], and [email protected]to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail. Applicants have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County. Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices. It is your responsibility to take the above steps to view correspondence. Los Angeles County will not consider claims of not viewing or receiving notification to be a valid reason for late test administration or rescheduling of a test component.
Transfer of Test Components:
- Applicants who have taken identical components recently for other exams may have their scores automatically transferred to this examination.
- This examination contains test components that may be used in the future for new examinations and your test scores may be transferred.
Test Preparation:
Study guides and other test preparation resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests. While the guides will help you preparing for the test, we advise you to review all related materials that you deem necessary.
- An interactive, Online Test Preparation System for taking practice tests may be accessed on the Department of Human Resources website at http://hr.lacounty.gov/. Please click on "Find A Job" and then "Job Search Toolkit." Test preparation information is located under the "Employment Test Assistance" section.
- Additional online practice tests are available at https://www.shldirect.com/en-us/practice-tests/. You can also access test preparation for the computerized portion of the test by going to http://www.shldirect.com/practice_tests.html.
Applications will be processed on an as-received basis and promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.
Testing Accommodation:
If you require an accommodation to fairly compete in any part of the assessment process, you will be given the opportunity to make a request when completing your application. Please note, you may be required to submit documentation from a qualified medical provider or other qualified professional to support your request for a testing accommodation.
Testing Accommodations Coordinator: [email protected]
Test scores cannot be given over the telephone.
SPECIAL INFORMATION:
Appointees may be required to work any shift including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
This position requires lifting of extremely heavy objects. Physical fitness for this position will be determined in a medical examination.
ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION:
The names of successful candidates will be placed on the Eligible Register for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of eligibility.
The resulting eligible register for this examination will be used to fill vacancies in the Department of Animal Care and Control Care Centers throughout Los Angeles County.
APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:
WE ONLY ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FILED ONLINE. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY U.S. MAIL, FAX, OR IN PERSON ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
We may verify information included in the application at any time during the examination and hiring process, including after appointment has been made. Falsification of any information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying VERBIAGE from the Class Specification and minimum requirements serving as your work experience WILL NOT BE sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION and you may be disqualified.
Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the requirements. Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week and description of work performed. Resumes may be added to your application but cannot be substituted for the Experience portions of the County application nor for the completion and submission of the supplemental questions. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.
Plan to submit your online application well in advance as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.
NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD: All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.
Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI):
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Animal Care and Control is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst races. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.
Department Contact Email: [email protected]
ADA Coordinator Phone: (562) 256-7100
California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922
Teletype Phone: (800) 899-4099
Alternate TTY Phone: (800) 897-0077