Kennel Assistant at Highway 58 Animal Hospital

Heartland Veterinary Partners; Chattanooga (TN); On-site; USD 19,000 - 22,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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

Job summary

Highway 58 Animal Hospital and Laparoscopic Surgery Center in Chattanooga, TN, is seeking a Kennel Assistant to support grooming and boarding needs. You will help admit patients with attention to client instructions and ensure accurate record-keeping for feeding, appearance and behavior.

Walk patients daily, monitor condition, assist with restraints, and maintain clean, safe kennels and wards under supervision of a Doctor or Technician.

Qualifications

• Patience, compassion and professionalism when interacting with doctors, teammates, clients and patients.
• Collaborative teamwork with the practice staff to deliver high-quality care.
• Clear communication of boarding outcomes to clients and teammates.
• Active listening to follow clients' expressed wishes.
• Commitment to achieving the highest levels of client satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Provide care for patients visiting for grooming and/or boarding.
• Record patient instructions, contact information and pick-up times.
• Document feeding schedules, appearance and behavior accurately.
• Monitor patients for illness signs and general condition.
• Properly restrain difficult patients as needed.
• Walk patients several times daily for exercise and elimination.
• Provide appropriate food and fluids as required.
• Ensure cages and patients are clean and properly stored personal property.
• Regularly clean and disinfect kennels, cages, runs and stalls.
• Launder towels and blankets.
• Keep hospital grounds clean and manage waste.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Patience & Compassion

Collaboration & Teamwork

Communicating

Active Listening

Client Satisfaction

Job description

Practice

Highway 58 Animal Hospital and Laparoscopic Surgery Center is a full service state-of-the-art animal care facility that has been serving the medical needs of pet owners in Chattanooga, TN and the surrounding areas since 1977.

Highway 58 Animal Hospital and Laparoscopic Surgery Center is a full service state-of-the-art animal care facility that has been serving the medical needs of pet owners in Chattanooga, TN and the surrounding areas since 1977.

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 $14.00 - USD $16.00 /Hr.