Kennel Assistant at Eastern Animal Hospital

Heartland Veterinary Partners LLC; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 15,153 - 24,796; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement benefits

Bonus incentive

Flexible work schedules

Career development

Employee Assistance Program

Employee Referral Program

Job summary

Eastern Animal Hospital in Baltimore, MD, known as Baltimore’s Best Vets, has served pets for over 30 years in a state-of-the-art facility offering grooming and boarding, urgent care, surgery, and luxury services. With AAHA accreditation and on-site staff 24/7 including ICU, we provide exceptional care to the community.

The Kennel Assistant reports to the Practice Manager and supports grooming/boarding patients, keeping cages clean, taking care of feeding and medication as needed, and ensuring

Qualifications

• Weekend work may be required.
• Previous veterinary experience preferred.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds; assist for heavier lifts.
• Follows OSHA safety techniques including proper PPE.

Responsibilities

• Provides great care for patients visiting the practice for grooming and boarding.
• Ensures patients are admitted with the client’s instructions, including contact information and pickup time.
• Records feeding schedules, appearance, and behavior during visits.
• Observes patient health and obvious signs of illness or discomfort.
• Handles patients safely and restrains when needed.
• Walks patients several times daily for exercise and elimination.
• Provides appropriate food and liquids as required.
• Ensures cages and patients are clean, properly numbered, and belongings stored correctly.
• Regularly cleans, disinfects, and maintains kennels, cages, runs, and stalls.
• Launders and dries towels and blankets.
• Washes and sterilizes bowls and walks hospital grounds.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Weekend availability

Veterinary experience

Physical stamina

PPE safety practices

Team player

Job description

Practice:

Eastern Animal Hospital has won the hearts of Baltimore’s pet owners for over 30 years. Referred to as “Baltimore’s Best Vets”, we are thrilled to serve our clients in a state-of-the-art facility with wellness care, urgent care, surgery, doggie daycare, and luxury boarding services. We are an AAHA accredited practice, a designation that only 10% of practices in North America have been awarded! Our state-of-the-art facility is fully equipped to handle a wide range of needs. Our experienced staff combines expertise with compassion to promote your pet’s health. With staff on-site 24/7, including an ICU and extended hours of operation, we are always available to assist the pets of the Baltimore community!

At Eastern Animal Hospital, we believe that taking care of our team is just as important as taking care of our patients. That’s why we prioritize work-life balance, offering flexible scheduling, paid time off, and an environment that values your time outside of work. We’re committed to mental health and well-being, providing an Employee Assistance Program and an open culture where you can thrive emotionally as well as professionally. We also invest heavily in professional development, with ongoing training opportunities, continuing education support, and a clear path for career growth—because when you grow, our entire hospital grows with you.

More about the Role:

Reporting into the Practice Manager, the Kennel Assistant provides care to address the needs of patients that are visiting the practice for grooming and / or boarding. The Kennel Assistant ensures that the boarding area is clean and safe for all patients by cleaning cages, runs, and ward areas and washing laundry. The Kennel Assistant walks, feeds, and administers medication to patients (as needed and supervised by Doctor or Technician and based on confidence and experience).

Competencies:

• Patience & Compassion: Remaining professional while still making Doctors, teammates, clients, and patients feel as comfortable as possible regardless of the situation or challenges presented.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Carefully coordinating actions with practice team members. Quickly incorporating feedback to ensure positive results. Sharing ideas and being open to other’s ideas. Continually looking for ways to help others.
• Communicating: Conveying boarding outcomes to clients and teammates to ensure successful client care.
• Active Listening: Following the expressed wishes of clients.
• Client Satisfaction: Ensuring all activities and interactions result in the highest level of client satisfaction.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Provides great care for patients visiting the practice for grooming and / or boarding.
• Ensures patients are admitted noting the client’s specific instructions to ensure a quality outcome including contact information and pick up time.
• Accurately and legibly records information related to the patient such as feeding schedules, appearance, and behavior during practice visit.
• Observes patient’s appearance and activity for general physical condition, obvious signs of illness, disease and discontent.
• Appropriately handles patients and as needed, properly restrains hard-to-control patients.
• Walks patients several times a day to provide exercise and time for elimination of bowels and bladder.
• Applies knowledge of normal food and liquid requirements and as required, provides special food and liquids.
• Ensures patients are clean and fresh smelling and have been checked by a Technician / Doctor prior to discharge; ensures patient has all personal property upon exit.
• Ensures cages and patients are properly numbered and identified and that personal property (toys, treats, blankets, leashes) are stored in the proper areas and identified.
• Regularly cleans, disinfects and maintain kennels, cages, runs and stalls as often as is necessary to ensure no cages or kennels are soiled and odors are not apparent. Performs general cleaning in other areas of the hospital to control the spread of disease. Washes and sterilizes water and food bowls.
• Launders and dries towels and blankets.
• Walks hospital grounds regularly and cleans any trash and stool material; empties trash throughout the practice and grounds.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements/Qualifications:

• Ability to work on weekends as required
• Previous veterinary experience preferred
• Ability to lift patients up to 25 pounds; ability to lift patients over 25 pounds with assistance
• Practices OSHA safety techniques including proper PPE

Benefits Offered:

• Paid time off
• Health insurance; dental insurance; vision insurance
• Retirement benefits or accounts
• Bonus incentive
• Flexible work schedules
• Career and professional development
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Referral Program

Benefits offered may vary depending on full or part time employment status according to company policy.

Pay Range:

USD $16.00 - USD $18.00 /Hr.