Kennel Assistant

Botetourt-Veterinary-Hospital-; Troutville (VA); On-site; USD 17,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

National Veterinary Associates (NVA) seeks a Kennel Attendant to support boarding and hospitalized patients. You will walk through kennels, feed and water animals, clean cages, and assist with baths, grooming, and laundry.

You’ll report condition changes to the team and help maintain a safe, clean hospital environment. As part of NVA, you’ll work closely with veterinary staff to ensure comfort and safety of all animals.

Qualifications

• Kennel Attendants must be patient and possess problem-solving skills.
• Ability to follow instructions and recognize potential illnesses or injuries.
• Maintain cleanliness and sanitation of cages, runs and bedding.

Responsibilities

• Walk through kennels to check animals for abnormal activity and report findings.
• Recognize emergencies and alert doctors/assistants as needed.
• Log eating, drinking, stool and urine production accurately.
• Feed and provide water according to schedules.
• Clean/disinfect cages, litter boxes and bowls; manage bedding.
• Assist with grooming and record services in the system.
• Operate laundry equipment and maintain kennel areas.
• Assist with check-in/check-out of boarding patients and related tasks.

Skills

Patience

Communication

Problem solving

Follow instructions

Job description

• Our boarding patients are entrusted to us by their owners and it is the expectation every patient is treated with kindness and patience. We take pride in the care that we give to the patients that stay with us; we do everything in our power to ensure their stay is safe and comfortable and instill that confidence in our clients.
• Kennel Attendants interact multiple times throughout the day with our boarding patients and sometimes hospitalized patients to ensure patients are kept as comfortable as possible and have access to appropriate food, water and bedding. BVH Kennel attendants most often work with dogs and cats, but may also occasionally find themselves in contact with other domestic animals and are in charge of the general upkeep of animals in their care and must provide individualized attention to them so they stay healthy and happy.
• Kennel attendants must be patient and possess problem-solving skills. Kennel attendants may come in contact with sick or injured animals, so they must be able to carefully follow instructions and be familiar with identifying potential illnesses and injuries. General duties include keeping cages clean and sanitized; walking, feeding and picking up after the patients; and reporting on the patient's condition to the Kennel Manager and/or Veterinary Medical staff.
• As a member of our team, Kennel Attendants should have a firm belief in our quality of care and be able to communicate this sense with assurance and confidence to our clients. Kennel Attendants must know and understand our services and products to be able to communicate with staff any suspected deviations from our quality of care. Integrity and professionalism are required and show clients the value of our service.

Job Duties

1. Walks through the kennel areas checking each animal individually for any abnormal activity such as vomiting, diarrhea, or blood in the cage or run. Reports all abnormal activity to supervisors, doctors and assistants.

2. Recognizes emergency situations, enlisting the aid of doctors and/or assistants.

3. Marks logs correctly for eating, drinking, fecal and urine production and other medical information.

4. Feeds and waters animals according to schedules.

5. Cleans and disinfects cat litter boxes, cages, runs and yards as needed using hoses and spray bottles of disinfectant. Cleans and disinfects all food and water bowls.

6. Picks up soiled bedding and moves it to the laundry area.

7. Places clean bedding in run with animals when appropriate.

8. Operates washer and dryer to clean kennel bedding and hospital laundry.

9. Records and labels all belongings.

10. Walks dogs using proper control techniques to ensure the safety of the dog, other boarders and all staff.

11. Grooms Patients (bathing, brushing, etc.) as scheduled prior to pick up, using proper control techniques. Also records all services provided in Cornerstone and enters charges.

12. Works outside all year-round; part of the job requires working without the aid of air conditioning or heat for periods of time.

13. Restrains animals as needed for proper control with attention to safety to the animal and all staff, clients, and other patients.

14. Maintains kennel related equipment, including fans used for drying.

15. Helps maintain cleanliness of the entire hospital, specifically all kennel areas are to be vacuumed and mopped.

16. Assists other staff to maintain the cleanliness and sanitation of the entire facility, including the interior and exterior of the property.

17. Reviews incoming/outgoing boarding reservations to anticipate boarding locations are appropriate and accommodating for other potential incoming patients.

18. Assist with checking in and checking out of dropped-off patients, including proper tracking of all belongings, labeling patients, etc.

19. Other duties may arise based on the needs of the hospital and patient/boarder care.

Special Requirements

*Baths

Do any baths that may be on the schedule for the day

*Check with the KS/SL to make sure nothing else needs to be done before giving bath (ex: exam, vaccines, bloodwork, NT, anal sac expression etc.)

Make a bath note for the patient

There is a bath note guide in a blue binder in the kennel office

Put the bath charge in the PVL (Patient Visit List)

Click on the first white line

Bath While Boarding: Choose the bath w/ boarding special

Drop-off Bath: The bath you choose will be based off the patient's weight. Choose the bath weight range that includes their weight.

Click Perform, then click OK

*Dishes

Boarders that have left

Surgeries that have left

Drop offs' that have left

*Sweep

*Trash

Cat Room, Radiology, Dr. Offices, Break Room

*Start mopping by 5:45

In order: Cat Room, Radiology, then Upstairs Big Kennel

*Surgery Patients-

Some pets board overnight prior to their scheduled procedure the next day. They typically need to have food and water pulled so that they do not eat or drink overnight. Check with the KS/SL to see if there are any such surgery patients and what should happen with their food/water.

National Veterinary Associates (NVA) is a leading North American pet health care company with nearly 1,300 locations spanning general practice veterinary hospitals, Ethos emergency and specialty hospitals, and pet resorts and equine veterinary care. With approximately 40,000 team members, we care for pets and support pet families in communities across the United States and Canada. Our purpose is to give pets and the people who love them more quality years together, and our mission is to make care more personal, easy and accessible while advancing medicine and care across every stage of life. Across NVA, we support our teams with the resources, expertise and opportunities they need to deliver exceptional care and help shape the future of veterinary and pet care.

Purpose: Give pets and the people who love them more quality years together

Mission: Transform the pet family experience to be personal, easy and accessible, while advancing medicine and care across every stage of life.

Values: Care Deeply, Do What’s Right, One Team, Own It, Shape What’s Next

One NVA: Bringing General Practice & Ethos Together

NVA is built to make care personal, easy and accessible, while advancing medicine across every stage of a pet’s life.

At National Veterinary Associates, we want to make sure your experience connecting with us is seamless and straightforward. Here’s what to expect when interacting with us:

- We’ll always reach out via verified LinkedIn profiles or emails ending in @nva.com

- We may also contact you via text message from an identified NVA representative for recruiting-related communication

- All job opportunities and applications are hosted on our official careers site: careers.nva.com

- There is no cost or confidential information required to apply or be considered for a position

If you have any doubts about a communication, feel free to visit our careers page to verify authenticity or email us at [e-mail]. Thank you for exploring opportunities at NVA!

NVA offers a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, vision, a 401k with employer match, and paid time off (including sick time) for all eligible employees. The team can provide more information about compensation and benefits for your specific location during the process. For positions based in Colorado, NVA provides eligible employees with paid sick and safe leave and public health emergency leave in accordance with the requirements of Colorado's Healthy Families and Workplaces Act.

NVA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.