Kennel Assistant at Oak Ridge Veterinary Hospital

Oak Ridge Veterinary Hospital; Emory Hills (TN); On-site; USD 17,000 - 18,000; 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

Oak Ridge Veterinary Hospital is seeking a Kennel Assistant to support grooming and boarding, clean kennels, walk and feed patients, and assist with medication under supervision.

The ideal candidate has weekend availability and prior animal handling experience; weekend shifts rotate. This role emphasizes patience, teamwork, and clear communication. Applicants should be able to lift up to 25 pounds and follow safety procedures. Veterinary experience is preferred.

Qualifications

• Patience and professionalism with doctors, teammates, clients and patients.
• Collaborate with practice team; accept feedback and help others.
• Convey boarding outcomes clearly to clients and teammates.
• Listen carefully to client wishes and instructions.
• Aim for the highest level of client satisfaction in all interactions.

Responsibilities

• Provides care for grooming and boarding patients.
• Admits patients with client instructions and pickup times.
• Records feeding schedules, appearance, and behavior.
• Monitors general condition and signs of illness.
• Handles and restrains patients safely; walks for exercise.
• Provides appropriate food/liquids and adjusts as directed.
• Ensures patients are clean, smelled fresh, and checked before discharge.
• Keeps cages and belongings organized and labeled.
• Regularly cleans kennels, washes bowls, and launders linens.
• Maintains grounds and collects trash; performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Patience & Compassion

Collaboration & Teamwork

Communicating

Active Listening

Client Satisfaction

Job description

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).

The ideal candidate will have weekend availability and have prior animal handling experience. Weekend shifts do rotate!

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 $12.00 - USD $13.00 /Hr.