A Kennel Assistant, or a Kennel Attendant, helps care for the animals that stay at kennels in animal shelters, veterinary offices and boarding facilities. Their duties include providing food and water, keeping the kennels clean and playing with and walking the dogs to keep them safe and healthy.
A Kennel Assistant should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Kennel Assistant should be able to execute:
- Providing food and water to animals according to care plans
- Cleaning the kennels and common areas
- Taking animals for walks and playing with them for enrichment
- Observing animals and noting any concerns with their behaviors or health
- Grooming and bathing the animals
- Administering medications or treatments to animals as directed by a Veterinarian
A competitive Kennel Assistant will have certain skills and qualifications, including:
- 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
