KENNEL WORKER

Kennel workers spend most of their time caring for dogs and cats. When you first start out, your duties will include tasks like cleaning cages and dog runs, filling food and water bowls, and exercising the animals. You'll receive pets from their owners and will transfer them to their temporary cages. You may take the dogs on walks, encourage the cats to play with toys, or just sit by their cages and keep them company if they appear frightened or sad. Often the animals in kennels are very nervous. They're in an unfamiliar environment, their owners are nowhere to be found, and there are dozens of other noisy animals nearby. It's a high-stress situation for a pet that is used to having its own space and home. One of your jobs as a kennel worker will be to help the animals be comfortable.

As you gain more experience, you'll be given more responsibilities. Your boss might ask you to provide basic health care for the pets in the kennel. You'll have to bathe animals, trim nails, clean paws and ears, and take care of other simple grooming needs. You also may do a little sales work. Kennels often sell pet food and supplies to their customers and need employees who can offer good customer service.

Eventually, once you learn everything there is to know about being a basic kennel worker and have acquired plenty of experience, you might be promoted to a position as kennel supervisor or manager. These are leadership positions that require a thorough understanding of how your particular kennel operates and how to care for all the different breeds of animals in your kennel. You'll supervise other employees and make sure they do their jobs effectively. You'll be responsible for hiring and firing, purchasing new supplies, and running the business when the owner is not around.

Even though you'll be working with animals day in and day out, it's important to have good people skills as a kennel worker, no matter what your position. You'll need to be able to ensure pet owners that their pets are safe with you and that you'll take good care of them. For many pet owners it's not an easy decision to leave their favorite companion with a stranger. You have to convince them their pets will be safe.