Animal Protection Officer - Denver Animal Protection

City and County of Denver • Denver, CO

18h • Onsite

About The Position

Within the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DPHHE), Denver Animal Protection (DAP) protects the safety and welfare of Denver’s animals and residents by fostering the human animal bond. DAP emphasizes public and animal safety and health, encourages responsible pet ownership through education and enforcing compliance with animal-related municipal code requirements, and cares for animals at the Denver Animal Shelter (DAS). This role serves as a field investigator and a specialized first responder for the city, managing the welfare of Denver’s animals and the safety of its residents. The work is wide-ranging and can change in an instant, involving tasks such as resolving neighborhood disputes, providing resources to families, investigating cruelty cases, or executing search warrants to seize neglected animals. The ideal candidate can handle unpredictable animals and confrontational situations with composure, sound judgment, and a genuine commitment to serving the community.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science, Criminal Justice, Public Health, Environmental Health, or related field.
• Demonstrated ability to de-escalate high-intensity situations and effectively communicate with a highly diverse population during complex, emotional, or confrontational cases.
• Direct experience responding to public safety, public health, or nuisance complaints, with a strong preference for candidates with investigative or enforcement backgrounds.
• Direct professional experience or related employment involving the physical handling of animals, particularly demonstrating competence and safety around unpredictable or aggressive domestic and wild animals.
• Familiarity with law enforcement case management software or animal shelter database systems (such as Chameleon).
• Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application.
• Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.
• Two (2) years of experience conducting environmental/public health inspections, investigations or environmental/public health management activities.
• One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education.
• Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual in Spanish/English is highly preferred.
• Expandable Baton Certification, OC Spray Certification, and Euthanasia by Injection Certification (to be obtained within 6 months of hire).
• Animal Welfare Association of Colorado (AWAC) State Certification for Animal Control Officers (to be obtained within 12 months of hire).

Responsibilities

• Independently triages and prioritizes a dynamic workload of complaints by responding to scenes, conducting interviews, collecting evidence, and evaluating probable cause to make critical enforcement decisions.
• Enforces Denver Revised Municipal Code and Colorado Revised Statutes while exercising professional discretion through a range of options, from warnings and citations to court summonses and executing search and seizure warrants.
• Compiles thorough, court-ready narratives and evidence to present a strong case for prosecution, maintaining a collaborative working relationship with the City and District Attorney’s Offices.
• Functions as a specialized first responder in physically demanding and psychologically complex environments, managing high-stress scenes involving aggressive animals, injury, or death.
• Navigates complex social dynamics using de-escalation and trauma-informed communication to address the link between animal welfare and human crisis, including recognizing indicators of interpersonal violence.
• Captures, handles, and impounds unpredictable domestic pets and wild rabies-vectors, including close-quarters handling for shelter intake, vaccinations, and humane euthanasia.
• Performs humane euthanasia by injection for domestic and wild animals, executing determinations made by veterinary or behavioral specialists through a formalized evaluation process.
• Maintains detailed daily logs and case files in Chameleon and SharePoint, exercising critical decision-making in an unpredictable environment where you are frequently diverted to high-priority calls.
• Promotes a One Health mindset by educating community groups and the public on responsible pet ownership, safe human-animal interactions, and public health ordinances.
• Testifies as a professional witness to the entire investigative process, making sentencing and case resolution recommendations based on field findings.
• Ensures accountability for an agency-provided vehicle and a comprehensive set of safety gear, keeping all issued equipment clean, operational, and ready for field use.
• Participates in the department’s emergency preparedness operations, which includes supporting the City’s Emergency Operations Plan and responding to "on-call" emergencies as needed.

Benefits

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year
• 12 paid holidays
• 1 personal holiday
• 1 Wellness Day
• 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level