Kennel Assistant

VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists is seeking extraordinary Kennel Assistants who identify themselves as reliable self-starters who are personable, highly professional, and people/animal lovers.

Who We Are: Welcome to VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists (NWVS), the largest and most diverse specialty practice in the Pacific Northwest.

Our mission is to provide medical and surgical excellence with honesty, respect, and integrity. Our facility has a full complement of departments and services to handle medical issues that arise from the minor to the most complex. Our Emergency and Critical Care Department is always open 24/7/365- and is fully equipped to handle every pet medical emergency.

At VCA NWVS, our friendly, professional staff is made up of dedicated individuals who have made it their mission to help pet’s live long healthy lives. We offer a challenging, rewarding, and fun work environment full of personal and professional growth opportunities.

Job Summary:

As a Kennel Assistant, we are dedicated to keeping the facility, patients, and associates safe in a sterile environment. Kennel Assistants are responsible for maintaining proper disease control protocols, including but not limited to: cleaning of the facility, laundry, and general maintenance of the facility. Kennel Assistants also play a vital role in maintaining hospital inventory. The team is responsible for shipment receiving and stocking medical supplies.

The successful Kennel Assistant candidate will share VCA’s commitment to delivering the highest quality patient care with exceptional client service. They will bring a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and willingness to contribute to a friendly team-oriented environment, along with:

• Compassion for pets and people
• The ability to integrate new information into problem-solving
• Demonstrated excellence in communication, listening, and customer service skills
• Willingness to work non-traditional hours of varying shifts- including nights, weekends, and holidays
• Ability to lift up to 50lbs and be exposed to hazards such as allergies, contagious disease, noises, odors,bites, scratches, and animal waste
• Must be able to work standing for extended periods of time
• Ability to bend, lift, push, pull, stretch, scrub, sweep, and mop repeatedly
• Ability to see fine detail in a variety of situations
• Must be able to work under stressful conditions, and work efficiently and effectively under these conditions
• Ability to rapidly and accurately process information
• Ability to recognize a need for assistance and ask for help
• Ability to cope with frustrating situations and remain calm

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Kennel Assistant plays a key role in the hospital’s success, as their adherence to proper disease control protocols and attention to detail in facility maintenance has a direct impact on patient care and safety. Timely processing of shipments keeps medical teams well equipped to meet the needs of our clients and patients.

While this position does not have any clinical duties, the Kennel Assistant is an integral part of maintaining the hospital and is responsible for:

• Perform daily cleaning of kennels, cages, and public areas, following proper disease control protocol to ensure a sterile environment
• Stock all kennel and cleaning supplies as needed
• Shipment processing, receiving, and stocking
• Clean, fold, and stock laundry throughout the clinic
• Minor facility maintenance
• Clean surgical laundry, and clean and prep operating rooms following proper disease control protocol to ensure a sterile environment
• Maintaining overall facility cleanliness
• Keeping central supply areas down-stocked for the medical teams
• Other duties as assigned

Schedule: Full- time opportunity. We are hiring for the following shift/schedule: Sunday, Monday, Friday, Saturday, 7 am - 5 pm.

Compensation: Pay for this position is $17.00 - 20.00 per hour (depending on experience) plus shift differential.

VCA adds value to your compensation package with the following:  

• Free Continuing Education through our online WoofU
• Paid vacation, sick time, and holiday pay
• Free mental health sessions (Lyra) and wellness subscriptions (Head Space)
• Referral bonuses
• Medical, dental & vision insurance for you and your family
• Health saving account, and Flexible spending account
• Generous pet care discounts plus discounts on Mars, RoyalCanin, Hills, and more
• Life, long, and short-term disability insurance (company paid)
• Paid parental leave for new parents
• 401(k) (company mat