Animal Control Officer job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

15

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Animal Control Workers

O*NET-SOC 33-9011.00

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$45,660

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Animal Control Workers (O*NET-SOC 33-9011.00). O*NET 31.0 gives “Animal Control Officer” as the alternate name inside its title “ACO (Animal Control Officer)” for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data, the SOC Index and employer job postings). Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and writing reports. importance 4.8 of 5
3. Examine animals for injuries or malnutrition, and arrange for any necessary medical treatment. importance 4.7 of 5
4. Contact animal owners to inform them that their pets are at animal holding facilities. importance 4.6 of 5
5. Educate the public about animal welfare, and animal control laws and regulations. importance 4.6 of 5
6. Remove captured animals from animal-control service vehicles and place animals in shelter cages or other enclosures. importance 4.5 of 5
7. Answer inquiries from the public concerning animal control operations. importance 4.5 of 5
8. Capture and remove stray, uncontrolled, or abused animals from undesirable conditions, using nets, nooses, or tranquilizer darts as necessary. importance 4.5 of 5
9. Prepare for prosecutions related to animal treatment, and give evidence in court. importance 4.5 of 5
10. Supply animals with food, water, and personal care. importance 4.4 of 5
11. Issue warnings or citations in connection with animal-related offenses, or contact police to report violations and request arrests. importance 4.3 of 5
12. Euthanize rabid, unclaimed, or severely injured animals. importance 4.3 of 5
13. Clean facilities and equipment such as dog pens and animal control trucks. importance 4.3 of 5
14. Organize the adoption of unclaimed animals. importance 3.9 of 5
15. Examine animal licenses, and inspect establishments housing animals for compliance with laws. importance 3.9 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Documenting/Recording Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with People Outside the Organization and Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Train police officers in dog handling and training techniques for tracking, crowd control, and narcotics and bomb detection.

Knowledge areas: Public Safety and Security, Law and Government, English Language, Customer and Personal Service and Administrative.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation (65%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Animal Control Officer
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring an Animal Control Officer to handle animals for the purpose of investigations of mistreatment, or control of abandoned, dangerous, or unattended animals.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals.
- Investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and writing reports.
- Examine animals for injuries or malnutrition, and arrange for any necessary medical treatment.
- Contact animal owners to inform them that their pets are at animal holding facilities.
- Educate the public about animal welfare, and animal control laws and regulations.
- Remove captured animals from animal-control service vehicles and place animals in shelter cages or other enclosures.
- Answer inquiries from the public concerning animal control operations.
- Capture and remove stray, uncontrolled, or abused animals from undesirable conditions, using nets, nooses, or tranquilizer darts as necessary.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, speaking and critical thinking
- Working knowledge of Public Safety and Security and Law and Government
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Animal Control Workers, the median annual wage was $45,660 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $21.95. BLS estimates about 12,070 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Animal Control Workers to grow 4.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,500 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real animal control officer posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only animal control officer work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and speaking): a real situation, what you did and what changed.