Kennels and Cattery Assistant Apprentice

Role Description

Kennel assistant role involving cleaning, exercising, feeding, monitoring animal behaviour, and checking mental/physical stimulation for dogs and cats. This is a demanding role that requires working on your own initiative in all weather conditions. New or experienced candidates are welcome, provided they have experience with animals.

Requirements

• Essential Qualifications:
  • GCSE in English (grade Level 2 or equivalent)
  • GCSE in Maths (grade Level 2 or equivalent)
• Skills:
  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Physical fitness
  • Time keeping
• Other Requirements:
  • Good work ethic
  • Good time keeping
  • Motivated
  • Willing to work outside in all weathers

Responsibilities

• Looking after dogs' welfare
• Cleaning of kennels and cattery
• Feeding the dogs and cats
• Walking the dogs and providing exercise
• Monitoring behaviours of animals and looking for changes that need reporting to manager
• Comply with UK and EU Animal related legislation
• Work effectively in a safe and healthy working environment following current / relevant health and safety legislation and work place policies
• Identify and report potential hazards and breaches of security within animal accommodation/enclosures
• Clean and maintain animal accommodation/enclosures/environment and equipment and provide appropriate resources including species specific enrichment (e.g. hiding, perches and areas to dig)
• Maintain hygiene, bio security procedures and infection controls when working with animals including quarantine and isolation
• Dispose of waste in a safe and appropriate manner in line with legislative and workplace requirements
• Store, use and administer medication in line with legislative and veterinary instructions as appropriate
• Monitor, record and report the health and welfare of animals in line with animal welfare legislation and workplace policies
• Observe and be aware of the behaviour of animals and take appropriate actions
• Approach/handle/restrain/move/recapture animals as part of routine husbandry appropriate for the species and individual
• Exercise/socialise animals and provide appropriate enrichment relevant to their specific needs
• Provide appropriate care, for example coat, skin, scales, plumage and feet to ensure good health and appearance
• Provide food and water to animals and monitor the intake
• Store and care for foodstuffs
• Identify and describe animals using appropriate methods to the species involved (e.g. scanning for microchips)
• Maintain, update and reference correct records in accordance with current legislation
• Deliver customer experience (internal and external), where applicable, in line with workplace policies and procedures
• Respond to animal first aid, urgent, ongoing and preventive care requirements as appropriate
• Follow a prepared interaction/handling plan to prepare the animal and resources required i.e. muzzle, collar leads, harnesses, head collars, crush cage, grasper, snake hook, hoods
• Undertake interaction/handling activities and use methods such as desensitisation and socialisation in accordance with the interaction/handling plan
• Handle the animal throughout the interaction/handling to promote the animal’s health, normal behaviour and physical and emotional welfare
• Monitor, report and record the response and welfare of the animal throughout interaction/handling activities
• Apply techniques which take into account the animal’s welfare and emotional wellbeing, such as positive reinforcement to interact/handle the animal
• Contribute to the assessment of an animal’s readiness for rehoming
• Provide advice to customers/clients on the suitability of animals according to their circumstances and experience in line with the workplace policies and procedures
• Support customers/clients during the rehoming/intake process and provide direction to further sources of information and guidance following rehoming of an animal
• Contribute to the assessment of the animal during the intake process
• Contribute to the matching process
• Prepare means of transport appropriate for animals, ensuring serviceability and cleanliness
• Prepare animals for movement and/or transportation taking into consideration their welfare potentially dealing with sick or injured animals
• Use of appropriate equipment and methods to move and transport animals ensuring their safety and security
• Monitor the physical and emotional health and welfare of animals during and after movement and transportation
• Identify route and contingency plans
• Identify if an animal required veterinary care and take appropriate action
• Present a safe, friendly and welcoming reception for internal and external customers/clients/animals as appropriate
• Provide information, advice, support and guidance on a range of topics such as animal care and welfare to customers/clients and seek advice when necessary
• Use appropriate methods of technology for internal and external communication such as telephone, walkie talkies, email and scanning documents
• Prepare, receive and store deliveries of goods including animal related products such as food stuffs and sundry items
• Prepare and display stock for sale, including stock rotation
• Take payment for goods, services and charitable donations
• Process customer and animal registrations and bookings
• Keep records for individual animals and people in line with the organisation’s procedures
• Prepare animals and environment for mating
• Monitor animals during parturition, recognising signs of difficulty
• Carry out general care of animals through gestation
• Prepare and manage pregnant animals pre and post parturition
• Provide appropriate care and monitoring of neonates
• Carry out procedures for caring for the young (once weaned) and introducing them to new environments
• Socialise young animals appropriately
• Fit and maintain appropriate equipment, ensuring the dog can operate safely
• Conduct refresher/maintenance training with the support of a helper and dog trainer at an appropriate frequency to maintain the minimum standard of operational performance.
• Interpret the dog’s behaviour and indications and react accordingly to the operational situation
• Ensure that the dog team (handler and dog) maintains the minimum standard of operational performance as determined by national standards or the employers’ policies and procedures
• Operate the dog team within the legal and ethical framework associated with their employment
• Transport working dogs
• Respond to collection requests
• Identify wild animals that are suitable for rehabilitation and release
• Plan and undertake rehabilitation for release into the wild
• Capture and handle healthy and casualty wild animals
• Move and transport wild animals appropriately
• Release and monitor wild animals as appropriate
• Carry out the hand rearing of wildlife species
• Identify a range of different species (wildlife) or breeds (domestic) in order to understand the behavioural and ecological needs of the animal as well as be aware of the potential risks it may pose
• Support, as directed, a veterinary surgeon / veterinary nurse in a clinical environment with: dealing with potential and actual emergency situations, pre and post-operative care, patient monitoring (e.g. anaesthetic monitoring), in-patient care, diagnostic care/tests/X-rays (positioning and exposing), dispensing and administration of medication, end of life care for pets and providing support for the owner