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Animal Control Worker resume example

A resume for a Animal Control Worker needs to show the work itself: handle animals for the purpose of investigations of mistreatment, or control of abandoned, dangerous, or unattended animals. Day to day that means work like this: investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and writing reports; capture and remove stray, uncontrolled, or abused animals from undesirable conditions, using nets, nooses, or tranquilizer darts as necessary. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

  • Animal Control Officer
  • Animal Enforcement Officer
  • Animal Park Code Enforcement Officer
  • Community Service Officer
  • Animal Attendant
  • Animal Ordinance Enforcement Officer
  • Animal Safety Officer
  • Community Safety Officer
  • Dog Control Officer
  • Animal Control Specialist
  • Animal Cop
  • Animal Cruelty Investigator
  • Animal Officer
  • Animal Rescuer
  • Animal Services Officer
  • Animal Treatment Investigator
  • Code Enforcement Inspector
  • Code Enforcement Officer

O*NET records 25 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

  • Investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and writing reports.
  • Capture and remove stray, uncontrolled, or abused animals from undesirable conditions, using nets, nooses, or tranquilizer darts as necessary.
  • Supply animals with food, water, and personal care.
  • Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals.
  • Prepare for prosecutions related to animal treatment, and give evidence in court.
  • 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.
  • Clean facilities and equipment such as dog pens and animal control trucks.
  • Remove captured animals from animal-control service vehicles and place animals in shelter cages or other enclosures.
  • Issue warnings or citations in connection with animal-related offenses, or contact police to report violations and request arrests.
  • Examine animal licenses, and inspect establishments housing animals for compliance with laws.

15 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

  • Investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and writing reports, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Capture and remove stray, uncontrolled, or abused animals from undesirable conditions, using nets, nooses, or tranquilizer darts as necessary, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Supply animals with food, water, and personal care, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

  • Animal Shelter Manager
  • ARK Software Ark Shelter Software
  • CISCO Software ACS Animal Control System
  • Esri ArcGIS
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Geographic information system GIS systems
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Windows

22 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

  • Animal cages
  • Animal capture nets
  • Animal catch poles
  • Animal control shotguns
  • Animal traps
  • Bat excluders
  • Blowguns
  • Cable winches
  • Cat crates
  • Compact digital cameras
  • Crimping pliers
  • Dog muzzles

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

  1. 01Active Listening
  2. 02Speaking
  3. 03Critical Thinking
  4. 04Reading Comprehension
  5. 05Service Orientation
  6. 06Social Perceptiveness
  7. 07Active Learning
  8. 08Coordination
  9. 09Judgment and Decision Making
  10. 10Monitoring

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Law and Government
  • Public Safety and Security
  • English Language
  • Administrative
  • Administration and Management
  • Psychology
  • Telecommunications

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

  • 60%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
  • 30%Post-Secondary Certificate, awarded for training completed after high school
  • 10%Associate's Degree

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Some Preparation Needed”. These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Common questions

What does a Animal Control Worker do?
Handle animals for the purpose of investigations of mistreatment, or control of abandoned, dangerous, or unattended animals. Day to day that includes work like investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and writing reports and Capture and remove stray, uncontrolled, or abused animals from undesirable conditions, using nets, nooses, or tranquilizer darts as necessary.
What skills should a Animal Control Worker put on a resume?
O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, and Service Orientation among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Animal Control Worker list?
Software recorded for this occupation includes Animal Shelter Manager, ARK Software Ark Shelter Software, CISCO Software ACS Animal Control System, Esri ArcGIS, and Geographic information system GIS software. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Animal Control Worker work?
O*NET records 25 titles for this occupation, including Animal Control Officer, Animal Enforcement Officer, Animal Park Code Enforcement Officer, and Community Service Officer. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Animal Control Worker need?
In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 60% reported their level of education as "High School Diploma, or the equivalent". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Animal Control Worker role?
No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

  • No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
  • This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
  • Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.