Animal Services Officer
Annual Salary Range: $66,950-82,400
Placement within this range is dependent on qualifications, experience, and ultimately established by the ARC Board of Directors. The ARC Executive Director of Animal Services will serve as the ultimate hiring authority. The ARC is not employed by the City of Ontario nor any other agency members. The successful candidate will be an at-will employee of the Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire and ultimately they will be appointed by and serve under the ARC Executive Director of Animal Services.
Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis until a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. This recruitment may close at any time without notice. The first review of applications is scheduled for Monday, August 3, 2026.
Are you passionate about serving the community and supporting a team that is committed to making a positive impact? The Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire is seeking well-qualified collaborative leaders with experience in animal code, ordinances, and regulations to join the organization. Incumbents are expected to create a safe and compassionate environment for both humans and animals by building rapport through a community-based approach, engaging the public as well as external and internal stakeholders through customer service, education and the appropriate issuance of citations to promote compliance with local ordinances and state laws in support of animal welfare.
Under general direction of the Animal Services Manager, the Animal Services Officer will perform a variety of duties involved in the enforcement and communication of animal services codes, ordinances, and regulations in the field; maintain related records pertaining to field services and animal cases; investigate reports of animal cruelty and abandonment; patrol assigned areas; collect and transport animals to the animal shelter; and perform other related duties as assigned.
The Ideal Candidate will possess:
- Premiere customer service skills that embody the Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire's Customer Service Philosophy.
- A growth mindset with a strong passion for developing others, and an exceptional ability to model and foster teamwork.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills,
- The ability to work collaboratively with the public and ARC team members.
- Leadership, initiative, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and be self-motivated with a growth mindset.
The following procedures will apply:
- The Eligibility List will consist of both internal and external applicants who meet the qualifications and successfully complete any required selection processes.
- The hiring department has the discretion to consider internal applicants on the Eligibility List prior to considering external candidates on the Eligibility List.
- The Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire serves the right, if necessary, to accept only the first one hundred (100) applications from applicants that meet the qualification guidelines below.
- Completed applications will be reviewed and only qualified applicants whose qualifications best meet or exceed the requirements of the position and needs of ARC will be invited to participate further in the selection process.
Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire Agency
On July 16, 2024, the Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire (ARC) was established through a Joint Power Authority (JPA) Agreement with the member agencies being the cities of Chino, Montclair, Ontario and the County of San Bernardino for the west end unincorporated areas. ARC is a full-service animal services agency providing both animal control and sheltering services to the member agencies, and has been operational since July 1, 2025. ARC is lead through a Board of Directors which is comprised of an elected official from each of the member agencies.. The Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire has 42 full-time equivalent positions through three divisions of field, sheltering, and administrative. The service area for our agency is 95 square miles.
For more information, click here to learn more about
ARC.
- Patrol assigned areas in a vehicle, while enforcing laws relating to animal regulations and the humane care and treatment of animals.
- Completing daily work assignments received during briefings or by other means, as well as handling situations requiring animal care services which arise and are observed during patrol duty.
- Drives a radio/computer-dispatched animal control vehicle to respond to reports of animal law violations.
- Responds to citizen complaints and investigates alleged violations of crimes against animals and/or animal related laws and regulations.
- Investigates possible violations of animal related laws and regulations, prepares reports, and issues citations, warnings and other notices and/or makes arrests for misdemeanor or felony violations, as appropriate.
- Safely handle, restrain, impound and/or transport sick, stray or wild animals of various sizes and temperaments while in the field or while on-site at the animal shelter.
- Captures both domestic and wild animals, using equipment and methods appropriate for animal abatement and control; may require chasing, climbing fences and crawling under houses.
- Register animals; follow up on registration violations including the collection of fees; provide public education regarding humane animal services.
- Inspects animal premises, examines animals and determines appropriate action to protect animal and public health and safety.
- Makes public presentations and conduct escorted tours and "ride-alongs" for the public and media.
- Perform variety of kennel care and maintenance duties, as necessary.
- Interprets ordinances, State statutes, regulations, and Agency and County policies for staff and public.
- Responds to animal related emergencies; subject to call out 24 hours a day by police and fire departments to render assistance in emergency situations.
- May appear in court as an expert witness in animal related cases. May assist a veterinarian in a spay and neuter clinic or during euthanasia.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
EducationHigh school diploma or recognized equivalent.
Experience
One (1) year of experience in the communication and enforcement of animal services codes, ordinances, and regulations, and the humane care and handling of animals.
Licenses
- Valid Class C California driver’s license at time of appointment.
- Acceptable driving record at the time of appointment and throughout employment.
Certificates- Must be able to obtain a certificate of successful completion for a California Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Course, Penal Code 832 Laws of Arrest, within six (6) months of employment.
- Must successfully complete training in compliance with California Business and Professions Code §4827(d) in order to obtain a certificate to perform humane euthanasia in the state of California, within six (6) months of employment.
Special Requirements
Ability to travel to different sites and locations
Ability to attend evening and weekend meetings;
Work various schedules including day, evening, night, weekend, and holiday shifts as needed.
How to Apply
Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" link at the top of this announcement. If this is the first time applying for a position using governmentjobs.com you will be prompted to create a new user account, otherwise log in with your user name and password. Your application and responses to any supplemental questions will be used to evaluate your qualifications for this position. It is suggested that your application include the following:
- List any relevant experience and education that demonstrates that you qualify for the position.
- List all periods of employment for at least the past 10 years, beginning with your most recent or present employer (including, if applicable, all employment with the City of Ontario).
- Separately list each position held, including different positions with the same employer.
A resume may be attached to your application but will not substitute for the proper completion of your application. Applications that are not properly completed may be rejected.
NOTE: Transcripts from colleges, universities or technical schools outside of the United States must be assessed for U.S. equivalency by a NACES educational credential evaluation service. Failure to provide a transcript or credential evaluation report will result in your application being rejected and you will not be able to continue in the selection process for this position.
Supplemental Questions
To complete your application for this position, you will be prompted to respond to supplemental questions. This information will be used as part of the application screening and selection process and is designed to help you present your qualifications for this position. This may include a selection step in which your application and supplemental questions are reviewed and scored by a panel of raters familiar with this position.
Incomplete responses, false statements, omission, or partial information may result in disqualification from the selection process. Your responses should be consistent with the information provided on your application.
Please provide succinct, concise, descriptive, and detailed information for each question. If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.
Email Notices
Email is the primary way that the Human Resources or Hiring Department will communicate with you. Please check your email account (including the SPAM folder) on a regular basis for any emails related to the application or selection process. Emails from the City of Ontario will come from "@ontarioca.gov" or "governmentjobs.com." If you change your email address after submitting your application, please visit governmentjobs.com and update your profile.
