Kennel Assistant

Position Overview: The Kennel Assistant supports and adds value to an efficient organization dedicated to quality care and exceptional service. This position supports veterinarians and technicians in their daily tasks by cleaning and maintaining equipment; feeding, exercising, and grooming pets; preparing and sanitizing surgery suites; restraining and handling pets; monitoring the well-being of boarding and day care patients; and performing basic clerical work.

Essential Functions:

• Provides compassionate care to pets
• Receives animals to be admitted, weighing them upon entry; ensures that they have proper identification and records their respective locations
• Examines patients for external parasites such as fleas and/or ticks
• Communicates in a positive manner with owners and ensures that they feel comfortable leaving their pet(s)
• Gives hospital and kennel tours; highlights key features that differentiate our kennel/hospital from others in the area
• Feeds animals as prescribed by the attending Veterinarian or as the owner has requested; records appetites; water intake, as well as fecal and urine production
• Recognizes and reports any unusual conditions or abnormal behaviors and monitors pets for signs of distress or disease.
• Gives baths to and brushes pets
• Assists Veterinarians and technicians with the administration of medications or with pet restraint
• Maintains the cleanliness of the hospital each day; cleans equipment and facilities using chemicals and supplies; ensures the safe use of chemicals
• Follows a regular schedule for cleaning and sanitizing all cages, runs, wards, and related areas; changes litter boxes and food/water bowls
• Completes the weekly and monthly chore list to maintain hospital cleanliness, equipment, and the overall appearance of the hospital
• Correctly prioritizes tasks
• Maintains laundry for the kennel, grooming, and hospital
• Provides patients with fresh, clean bedding when appropriate
• Walks or brings dogs into the yard for exercising
• Maintains the grounds of the property including waste disposal; responsible for light maintenance of landscape upkeep and general building maintenance
• Prepares pets for discharge; gathers toys, bedding, medications, and food; checks pets for cleanliness, and measures and records their exit weights for comparison against their entry weights
• Releases pets to their owners as directed; ensures that every animal released is clean and properly groomed prior to their release
• Understands and carries out oral and written directions
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Remain professional and courteous to clients and co-workers while handling multiple tasks at once with many interruptions.
• Learn and understand our services and health recommendations and be able to clearly communicate these to clients.
• Be able to deal with difficult and/or aggressive patients in an effective manner meanwhile keeping yourself, the pet, and co-workers safe
• Performs other duties as assigned by Manager.

Competencies:

• Organization
• Multitasking
• Communicating

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED
• Some experience working at a kennel or animal hospital preferred
• May consider an equivalent combination of education, certification, training, and/or experience

Position Requirements:

• Ability to work with or around sick animals, potentially hazardous materials, cleaning chemicals, gas anesthetics, zoonotic diseases, and unpleasant odors
• Must be flexible with scheduling and able to work some weekends and holidays
• This is a strenuous job that requires a lot of lifting, cleaning, and constant motion
• Depending on functional area of assignment, tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or work station and/or extended periods of time standing and/or walking
• May involve some climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling
• Some tasks involve the periodic performance of moderately physically demanding work, usually involving lifting or carrying moderately heavy animals (up to 50 pounds)

Additional Information: The list of essential functions, as outlined in this job description, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification. The omission of any job function does not preclude management from assigning duties not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment to the position.