Kennel Assistant

Mission Pet Health; Gaithersburg (MD); On-site; USD 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Medical/Dental/Vision insurance

401k retirement plan

Education assistance AVMA

Nationwide veterinary network

Pet care discount

Teladoc access

Job summary

Lake Forest Animal Hospital in Gaithersburg, MD is seeking a Kennel Assistant to provide personalized care for boarding and daycare pets, ensuring safety, feeding, exercise, and comfort during their stay.

You will monitor animal health, maintain clean facilities, manage supplies, and collaborate with the medical team to ensure smooth operations. The role requires physical stamina, reliability, weekend availability, and a genuine love for animals.

Qualifications

• The candidate must love animals and be genuinely committed to their welfare.
• Reliable and hardworking in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and good judgment under pressure.
• Ability to lift up to 50+ lbs and stay physically active.
• Previous kennel assistant experience preferred.
• A flexible schedule including some weekends and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Provide personalized care for boarding and daycare pets, including feeding, exercise, and comfort.
• Monitor behavior and promptly notify the medical team of health concerns.
• Maintain cleanliness and sanitation of kennel areas and grounds.
• Help manage inventory and support team to keep operations running smoothly.

Skills

Pet care

Reliability

Communication

Stress management

Physical stamina

Teamwork

Job description

Welcome to Lake Forest Animal Hospital, where our mission since 1991 has been to provide the most comprehensive and highest quality of care possible. We treat every pet like our own, resulting in an outstanding reputation reflected by our excellent 4.8-star Google rating within the community. We are a trusted full-service veterinary clinic for pet wellness, surgical procedures, and urgent care in Gaithersburg, MD. If you are looking for an established practice where you can provide individualized care and genuinely make a meaningful impact, we invite you to do your best work here. Joining Lake Forest Animal Hospital means becoming part of a dedicated and established community of professionals, including four experienced veterinarians. As part of a larger network, you benefit from sophisticated systems designed to help every teammate succeed. We prioritize continuous education and offer supportive pathways that allow you to grow your career, whether you are aiming for advanced certifications, leadership roles, or simply want to excel in your current position. We ensure you have the resources and mentorship necessary to reach your professional goals and feel valued every day. We are dedicated to delivering a wide scope of high-quality small animal medicine, encompassing comprehensive wellness and prevention, sophisticated testing and diagnostics, and critical urgent care. Our focused commitment to advanced care and surgical procedures ensures that we can address complex cases within our clinic. Furthermore, our partnership with a robust veterinary network means that our doctors and teammates have reliable access to internal specialty consultations and comprehensive resources, guaranteeing high medical standards and collaborative outcomes for every patient. Gaithersburg, Maryland, offers an excellent blend of suburban comfort and direct access to the cultural vibrancy of the greater DC metropolitan area. Located centrally, you will find a strong, highly engaged community that is dedicated to pet health—as evidenced by our long tenure here and consistent support. Choosing Gaithersburg means you are positioning yourself in a dynamic area with exceptional amenities, providing a fantastic quality of life outside of the clinic while serving a loyal client base.

At Mission Pet Health, we do things a little differently! As part of our hiring process, we invite candidates to complete a short online assessment so we can better understand your skills and strengths. If you are being considered for the position, you will receive an e-mail from a Mission Pet Health recruiter with a link to complete the assessment at your convenience. Please be sure to check your spam or junk folder - sometimes these messages get filtered out.

Your Impact as a Kennel Assistant

• Provide Personalized Care: You'll be the primary caregiver for our boarding and daycare pets, ensuring they receive the correct food, exercise, and attention to make their stay comfortable and safe.
• Be the Eyes and Ears of Animal Health: You'll carefully monitor the behavior and habits of the animals in your care, promptly notifying the medical team of any unusual health concerns.
• Create a Safe and Healthy Environment: You'll take pride in maintaining the cleanliness and sanitation of the entire resort, from the kennel areas and runs to the outside grounds.
• Ensure Operational Excellence: You'll keep the resort running smoothly by managing inventory for food and cleaning supplies and collaborating with the team to ensure all tasks are completed.

What You'll Bring to the Team

• A genuine love for animals and a commitment to their welfare.
• A reliable and hardworking nature, with the ability to manage tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication skills, good judgment, and the ability to handle stressful situations with composure.
• The physical capacity to lift up to 50+ lbs and perform the duties of a physically active role.
• Previous experience as a kennel assistant is preferred. A flexible schedule, including some weekends and holidays, is required.

How You're Supported

As part of the Mission Pet Health family, you get the stability of a local practice backed by the comprehensive benefits and resources of a larger network. The focus is on investing in you, so you can focus on what you love.

Note: Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support you at every stage. Eligibility for specific benefits varies based on your role and hours worked.

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation: A competitive hourly rate or salary based on your experience and role.
• Health & Wellbeing: We offer comprehensive coverage options including Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance, along with access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all teammates.
• Financial Security: Plan for your future with our 401k retirement options and additional financial protection benefits like Life Insurance and Disability coverage.
• Commitment to Growth: We support your career goals with opportunities for professional development, including educational assistance for qualified teammates to enroll in AVMA-accredited veterinary technician programs.
• The Power of a Network: Join a nationwide community of over 20,000 veterinary professionals who share a passion for collaboration, career growth, and sharing best practices.
• Valuable Perks: Enjoy discounted veterinary care for your own pets, access to an online discount platform, and free 24/7 access to doctors through Teladoc.

About Mission Pet Health

Mission Pet Health was founded by veterinarians on the belief that local practices thrive with clinical autonomy, collaboration, and medical excellence. The organization provides world-class support to its 850+ hospital teams on a hyper-local basis so they can focus on what matters most: the medicine, their patients, and their team culture. Learn more at missionpethealth.com.

Driving the award-winning culture are the WAG values – Work Together, Amaze, and Grow. Mission Pet Health is veterinarian-led, people-focused, and on a mission to be the best place to work in veterinary medicine. We are proud to be recognized as a 2025 "Most Loved Workplace," ranked #2 in America's Top 100 and #1 in veterinary care.