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Kennel Worker

Do you want to become a Kennel Worker? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

Job Description - Print Page

Kennel workers feed, exercise and groom dogs and cats while they are staying in boarding or charity kennels.

There is some office work involved which includes keeping records and taking telephone calls. Kennel workers might also show animal-owners around and advise them on caring for their animal.

Working days usually start at around 7.30am and kennel workers might be on duty five or six days a week, sometimes including weekends. They are outside in all weathers and it can be noisy, smelly work.

Salaries range from around £7,500 for a trainee, to between £12,000 and £15,000 for qualified staff.

Kennel workers need to have a real love of animals and should be:

• caring and patient
• confident in working with animals
• prepared to deal with dirt and not be squeamish.

There are not many jobs available so competition can be strong.

There are many different kinds of kennels including:

• boarding kennels
• animal welfare kennels - like the RSPCA
• hunt kennels
• racing kennels
• breeding kennels
• charity kennels - where dogs are trained to help a visually impaired, hearing impaired or disabled person
• armed forces kennels.

Real interest and enthusiasm can be more useful than a formal qualification, but training and qualifications are increasingly important. Some organisations do ask for GCSEs/S grades. It is possible to start off as a volunteer or on work experience.

There is a range of full and part-time college courses. Some organisations, like the Dogs Trust and RSPCA, train their staff, and there are NVQs in Animal Care.

In a larger organisation, it could be possible to become a supervisor or kennel manager. Some kennel workers might go on to run their own kennels.

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