Animal Caretaker

Full Job Description

About the Position: Serves as an animal caretaker and maintains sanitation within the facilities associated with laboratory animals at the US Army Veterinary Training Center (VTC), Ft Sam Houston, Texas.

Responsible for husbandry of animal species to include, but not limited to cats, dogs, mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbit, hamsters, sheep, goats and swine.

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job.

You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected.

See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army) Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Executive Order (E.O.) 12721 Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI) Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Interchange Agreement Eligible People with Disabilities, Schedule A Postal Service/Peace Corps and Other Unique Authorities Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Reinstatement Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social).

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. There is no specific length of training or experience required.

However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision.

Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of an Animal Caretaker without more than normal supervision.

The ability to perform some task including simple care for common laboratory animal species; assisting personnel in handling animals, and reporting irregularities in appetite, consumption rate or rejection of food or have received training on handling laboratory animal species; performing husbandry of animals, and maintaining laboratory equipment to include the operation of washing machines, bottle washer, incinerators and/or other related equipment - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating.

Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision Screen Out Animal Husbandry Dexterity and Safety Medicine and Dentistry Physical Strength Technical Credibility Work Practices (Including Keeping Things Neat, Clean, and in Order) Physical Effort: Animal care and grounds/facility maintenance duties will involve the movement and manipulation of heavy, awkward, and potentially injurious equipment; and the handling and restraint of (less than cooperative) animals.

Such duties must be undertaken with proper personal protection provisions, and when appropriate, with personnel or mechanical assistance.

Duties require prolonged standing, kneeling, crawling, repeated bending and frequent bending, lifting, and standing/working on hard concrete or asphalt ground surfaces.

Must be capable of performing moderately heavy physical labor for several consecutive hours in outdoor environment, typical for South Texas, at all times of the year.

Working Conditions: Animal care and maintenance duties are performed in both indoor (climate controlled) and outdoor environments.

Animal care and use facilities are a combination of modern, conventional laboratory animal design, and outdoor cage runs and kennels for dogs, sheep, goats and pigs.

Potential duty-related hazards include animal bites, scratches, and kicks; animal-related allergies; heat/steam injury from cage washing; exposure to potentially hazardous compounds (pesticides, medical compounds as antibiotics and sanitizing chemicals) and materials; lifting and crush injuries from heavy animals, caging systems, and grounds maintenance equipment.

There is a remote possibility of exposure to certain zoonotic diseases including, but not limited to, Pasturella infected animal bites and mycotic(fungus) infections of the skin. Major Duties:

• Supports personnel with handling a population of approximately 75 animals to administer medication, examination procedures, relocation, and grooming.
• Ensures accurate identification of animals moved, requested, or treated.
• Observes feeding habits of individual animals and reports any irregularities in appetite, consumption rate or rejection of food.
• Prepares and feeds regular and special diets to animals.
• Unloads, lifts, carries, and stacks large bags or boxes of animal feed weighing 40-50 pounds, bedding materials, and other supplies and equipment weighing up to 75 pounds.