Do you have a passion for helping animals and want to make a positive impact in the community?
We invite you to join the City of San Bernardino's Animal Shelter Department as an Animal Services Representative!

About the City
As a future member of our team, you’ll be joining a city with deep roots, cultural diversity, and exciting momentum. Located in the heart of Southern California’s Inland Empire, San Bernardino is the county seat and largest city in San Bernardino County, home to more than 222,000 residents. Its rich history — shaped by Native American, Mexican, and Spanish influences — continues to inspire the city’s evolving identity.

San Bernardino offers access to major transit corridors, natural beauty, and a wide range of housing and lifestyle options. It’s a place where public service careers are supported by a strong sense of community and purpose — and where motivated professionals can grow, contribute, and be part of something meaningful.

About the Position
The Animal Services Representative serves as a Dispatcher and acts as the primary communications link between the public and Animal Control Officers in the field, ensuring timely, accurate, and coordinated responses to animal-related calls for service. This position receives, prioritizes, and dispatches calls involving stray, injured, aggressive, deceased, or confined animals, cruelty and neglect investigations, and other public safety concerns, while maintaining constant communication with field personnel via radio, phone, and computer-aided dispatch systems.

This role is responsible for gathering critical information, assessing urgency, documenting calls, monitoring officer status and location for safety, and providing real-time support to ensure efficient deployment of resources. The position requires sound judgment, the ability to remain calm under pressure, and strong communication skills, while delivering professional and compassionate customer service to the public during routine and emergency situations.

The Ideal Candidate

Dispatch & Communication Skills: Effectively manage high-volume calls while maintaining composure and professionalism. Gather critical information, assess urgency, and clearly communicate details to field personnel and the public.
Decision-Making & Judgment: Exercise sound judgment in prioritizing calls and coordinating responses. Remain calm under pressure while managing multiple tasks and time-sensitive situations.
Technical & Administrative Proficiency: Accurately document service requests and maintain records using computer-aided dispatch systems. Monitor field personnel status and location to support operational efficiency and safety.
Customer Service Skills: Deliver professional and compassionate customer service to the public during routine and emergency situations.

A Day in the Life
No two days are exactly alike as an Animal Services Representative. One moment, you may be answering a call regarding a stray or injured animal, carefully gathering critical information and assessing the urgency of the situation; the next, you could be dispatching Animal Control Officers to respond to a public safety concern or coordinating support for a cruelty or neglect investigation. Throughout the day, you will prioritize calls, document service requests, and maintain constant communication with field personnel to ensure timely and efficient response.

In a fast-paced environment, you’ll monitor officer status for safety, provide real-time updates, and serve as the primary link between the community and field staff. You’ll interact with residents during both routine and emergency situations, delivering professional and compassionate customer service while helping ensure the safety of animals, officers, and the public. Each shift plays a critical role in supporting Animal Services’ mission to protect and care for the community’s animals.

For more information on this position, please click here: Animal Services Representative

Education and Experience
High School diploma or G.E.D.

AND

One (1) year of animal services experience, customer service or other office administrative support experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Licenses, Certifications, and Equipment
A valid California driver’s license is required.

Desirable Qualifications
Ability to communicate effectively in Spanish is highly desirable.

Knowledge of and Skills in

Understanding departmental procedures, programs, and services related to animal control and animal care operations.
Applying safe and humane methods for the restraint, handling, medication, cleaning, feeding, and quarantine of animals, including aggressive or difficult animals.
Interpreting and applying federal, state, county, and local laws, ordinances, and regulations related to animal control, medication, care, and protection.
Recognizing various animal breeds, behaviors, and appropriate handling techniques to ensure safety and humane treatment.
Utilizing safe and humane euthanasia methods in accordance with established guidelines and regulations.
Delivering high-quality customer service and effectively communicating City animal management services to diverse stakeholders.
Safely and confidently handling and caring for animals of all sizes and temperaments.
Learning and following established procedures for administering medications and vaccinations.
Maintaining accurate animal inventory records and documentation within computerized systems.
Observing, assessing, and interpreting animal behavior to support proper care and operational decision-making.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment
The Animal Services Representative regularly works in extreme weather and on slippery, uneven surfaces, handling dangerous, injured, or diseased animals. They are often exposed to wet conditions, fumes, chemicals, and communicable diseases, and work in noisy environments. Job duties include using hands and arms to manipulate tools, climbing, balancing, kneeling, walking, and lifting up to 50 pounds regularly and up to 100 pounds occasionally. Specific vision requirements include close, distance, and color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Recruitment Timeline

This recruitment will close on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at 11:59pm, or until a sufficient number of applications have been received.

Applications review: Week of Monday, August 31, 2026

1st Interview: Week of September 06, 2026, or agreed upon date by both HR recruiter & Dept (TENTATIVE)

2nd Interview: Week of September 13, 2026, or agreed upon date by both HR recruiter & Dept (TENTATIVE)

**All dates are subject to change at the discretion of the personnel officer**

All applicants are required to submit an online application through the City’s official website at www.sbcity.org. This recruitment will remain open until Sunday, August 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM or until a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received.

Applications must be fully completed and clearly demonstrate that the minimum qualifications for the position are met. All information provided is subject to review, investigation, and verification. While resumes may be uploaded as supplemental documentation, they will not be accepted in place of a fully completed City application.

Following the initial screening, the most qualified candidates whose backgrounds best match the needs of the City will be invited to continue in the selection process. Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee advancement. Candidates will remain under consideration until a final selection is made and an offer is accepted. The City of San Bernardino reserves the right to close the recruitment at any time and may determine that none of the applicants, including those who meet the minimum qualifications, are suitable for the position.

Successful candidates shall be required to

Pass a reference and background verification. References will not be contacted until mutual interest has been established.
Degree verification
Pass a pre-employment medical exam, which includes a Drug screen.
Starting salary based on education and/or experience and internal equity.

E-Verify Participation

The City of San Bernardino participates in the E-Verify program. In compliance with federal law, all employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of individuals hired to work in the United States.

Accordingly, the City will provide information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm authorization to work in the United States.

For more information about E-Verify, please visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website at www.uscis.gov

Disclaimers

The City of San Bernardino is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The City follows a nepotism policy, which may impact hiring decisions if an applicant has relatives currently employed by the City.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the City provides reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Each request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To request an accommodation, please contact the Human Resources Department directly at (909) 998-2060.

This bulletin is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract, expressed or implied. Its contents may be modified or withdrawn without prior notice.

For questions regarding this recruitment, contact Human Resources at 909-998-2060 or email Janet Sirob at sirob_ja@sbcity.org.

Additional information is available at www.sbcity.org.

City of San Bernardino

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Animal Services Representative