Kennel worker
Kennel workers care for dogs and cats in kennels and catteries.
Also known as: Animal boarding assistant
- Starter salary£19,000 a year
- Experienced£23,000 a year
- Typical hours24 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a kennel or cattery worker, you will:
- prepare food and feed the animals
- keep animals clean and groom them
- exercise dogs in a yard or take them for walks
- clean out kennels, living quarters and pet carriers
- look after and monitor old, ill or distressed animals
- help to train and mentor volunteers
- assist with animal admissions, fostering and re-homing
- answer customers' questions and give advice on animal care
- talk to pet owners about instructions for animals being temporarily boarded
Working environment
You could work in kennels or at an animal welfare centre.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers and emotionally demanding.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to use your initiative
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- customer service skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- physical fitness and endurance
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a kennel worker
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- volunteering
- applying directly
College
You could take a college course to get some of the skills and knowledge needed for this job.
Courses include:
- animal care
- animal management
- dog grooming
- T Level in Animal Care and Management
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
Apprenticeship
You could apply for a place on an apprenticeship, such as:
- Animal Care and Welfare Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Animal Care and Welfare Manager Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, if you're looking to become a supervisor or manager at a kennels or cattery
These take between 1 and 2 years to complete, and combine work-based training with classroom study.
Entry requirements
There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Volunteering
Volunteering is a useful way to get experience and shows employers that you are enthusiastic and interested in working with animals.
You can find out about opportunities for volunteering from:
- Blue Cross
- RSPCA
- PDSA
- Dogs Trust
- Cats Protection
You can also search online for animal care charities in your local area.
Direct application
There are no set qualifications for applying directly to become a kennel worker. Some employers may ask you for GCSE grades at 9 to 4 (A* to C), including maths and English.
Experience of working with animals will be helpful.
Restrictions and requirements
You may need a driving licence for some jobs.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could become a supervisor or kennel manager, or set up your own kennels or cattery.
With more training, you could move into other kinds of animal work, like dog training, RSPCA inspections or veterinary nursing.
Career tips
Some organisations may include a trial shift as part of their recruitment process.
Guides for this industry
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