What does a Kennel Assistant do?

Kennel Assistants work directly with animals and other kennel staff members to maintain a safe, orderly environment. They work in facilities where animals are housed in kennels, such as animal shelters, veterinary clinics and pet boarding businesses. While the specific duties might vary based on the type of facility, the role usually involves caring for the animals by feeding and watering them, ensuring they get exercise and giving them any treatments they need.

A large part of the job is calming animals who don’t do well in kennel settings, helping with grooming services and cleaning. Kennel Assistants clean up animal waste, pet hair, water and food to keep the areas sanitary and safe. They might also wash laundry, such as towels or pet bed covers. When they’re not providing direct animal care, they often document information about the animals and restock supplies.

Kennel Assistant skills and qualifications

When writing a Kennel Attendant job description, consider the skills and qualifications that make the candidate successful. Successful Kennel Assistants are skilled at working with various animals. Some specific skills and qualifications include:

• Understanding of animal behavior and animals’ care needs
• Ability to move animals and large bags of food or other supplies
• Customer service and communication skills
• Passion for animal welfare
• Ability to understand and follow directions from Veterinarians or kennel staff
• Techniques to soothe animals and keep them calm in tense situations
• Basic math and measurement skills to manage food, water and medications
• Record-keeping skills to document care, behavior and incidents with the animals

Kennel Assistant experience requirements

Previous work with animals may be the main experience requirement for the typical Kennel Assistant job description. Some organizations might accept personal experience as a pet owner while others prefer relevant job experience in a pet-related role, like dog walker or groomer. Customer service experience can also be useful for settings where the Kennel Assistant greets customers and talks to them about their pets.

Kennel Assistant education and training requirements

Kennel Assistant positions don’t require a minimum education degree or background. Training typically takes place on the job after being hired. A candidate with previous training as a Kennel Assistant or a similar position may have an advantage over other applicants with no training.

Job description samples for similar positions

If you’re not looking for a Kennel Assistant job description at this time, you might find one of these similar job descriptions helpful:

• Veterinary Assistant
• Veterinary Technician

Kennel Assistant job description FAQs

What’s the difference between a Kennel Assistant and a Veterinary Assistant?

Kennel Assistants focus more on basic care, while Veterinary Assistants may participate in more of the medical aspects of animal care. Kennel Assistants might help with more housekeeping tasks, such as stocking supplies and cleaning, and they often work at a wider range of animal facilities. Veterinary Assistants often work closely with Veterinarians during animal exams or treatments. They might take the customers and animals to the exam room and ask introductory questions before the Veterinarian enters.

What makes a good Kennel Assistant?

A passion for animals and their well-being is an important trait of a successful Kennel Assistant. Having hands-on experience with animals of different sizes and temperaments helps the candidate manage better. Experienced animal caretakers understand how to soothe animals and use various techniques to handle them properly. It’s also important to be organized and pay attention to detail to keep animals in safe situations.

How can you make your Kennel Assistant job description stand out?

Use your Kennel Attendant job description to express your organization’s philosophy and culture and attract people who align with it. You might describe unique features of the facility, such as a dog playground or dog-washing station, that make the job appealing. Let applicants know what types of animals they might work with regularly and what specific duties they’ll handle.