Animal Care Attendant - Rehabilitation

Thrive Pet Healthcare; Annapolis (MD); On-site; USD 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

401(k) with employer match

Mental health resources

Paid parental leave

Purr-ental leave for pet adoption

Subsidized backup childcare and elder/

Job summary

Thrive Pet Healthcare is seeking a full-time Animal Care Attendant to join our Rehabilitation team in Annapolis Junction, MD. You will support pets through their rehabilitation and recovery journey, assisting aquatic therapy and laser sessions, while keeping treatment areas clean and comforting for patients and families.

The ideal candidate has at least 2 years of animal handling experience, preferably in a veterinary setting, with strong communication and organizational skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years professional animal handling experience.
• Experience in a veterinary setting strongly preferred.
• Fear Free experience preferred.
• Excellent communication and organization skills.

Responsibilities

• Support rehabilitation and recovery journey for pets, including aquatic therapy.
• Assist with therapeutic laser sessions and provide patient comfort.
• Maintain treatment areas and ensure a positive experience for pets and families.

Skills

Animal handling

Veterinary care experience

Fear Free

Positive attitude

Self-motivated

Communication

Organizational skills

Job description

Description

Veterinary Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Group is looking for a full-time Animal Care Attendant to join our Rehabilitation team as part of the Thrive Pet Healthcare community in Annapolis Junction, MD.

About You

You’ll play an important role in pets’ lives by supporting their rehabilitation and recovery journey every step of the way. Your life-changing work will range from assisting with aquatic therapy and therapeutic laser sessions to providing patient comfort, maintaining treatment areas, and helping create a positive experience for pets and their families.

The success of your patients’ care matters to you, and your success matters to us.

Your Experience & Skills

• Minimum 2 years professional animal handling experience
• Experience in a veterinary setting strongly preferred
• Fear Free experience preferred
• Possesses a positive work attitude
• Self-motivated
• Excellent communication and organization skills

You’ll Grow with Us

Skills

• Our vast, diverse, and free library of continuing education courses - ThriveU
• Live, virtual interactive workshops to develop valuable leadership skills
• A program designed to teach you the fundamentals of running a pet hospital

And, with so many locations nationwide, you can find and move into any specialty, hospital type, or environment. Join us and provide your best care at a clinic that is deeply rooted within its community and bolstered by the resources of Thrive Pet Healthcare.

Benefits – our care in action

Thrive offers a suite of benefits to support team members’ emotional, physical, professional, and financial wellbeing. In addition to our health and life insurance, and short- and long- term disability plans, we offer eligible team members:

• Competitive pay
• 401(k) with employer match
• Mental health resources, including easy access to therapy through Lyra Health
• Paid parental leave
• Purr-ental leave for when you adopt a pet
• Subsidized backup childcare and elder care
• Expert advice, support and network discounts for fertility and family planning
• FREE CE courses
• Pet perks and veterinary service discounts
• Student loan support tools and assistance
• Some benefits shown are only for full-time team members who work 30 hours or more per week. Certain Benefits may be subject to waiting periods or length of service requirements.

Compensation is negotiable based on experience and credentials, with an expected starting range of $16 – $20/ hour. The actual compensation will carefully consider a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

About Thrive

Thrive Pet Healthcare creates the future of pet well-being through medical excellence, innovative technology, and a connected community of teams and partners. Today, its network of 360+ primary, emergency, and specialty hospitals across the U.S. cares for pets of all ages and health needs, while portfolio companies provide tools and technology that help veterinary teams work smarter and deliver better care. Thrive invests in its people—through mentorship, leadership programs, continuing education, and well-being initiatives—so teams can grow and feel supported. For pet owners, convenient solutions such as a mobile app, Thrive Plus membership, HereFurYou Helpline, online booking, and flexible financial options make accessing quality care simpler— giving families the peace of mind their pets deserve. Learn more at thrivepetcare.com.

We welcome you to join our story and join where #WeThriveTogether.