Kennel Attendant Job Description Template

Say what the title actually means before you say anything else.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups kennel attendants under Animal Caretakers (SOC 39-2021) — a code whose definition names kennels, animal shelters, zoos, circuses and aquariums — and BLS's own industry breakdown puts only 10% of that workforce in professional, scientific and technical services, the group that contains veterinary clinics.

If you're hiring for a veterinary hospital specifically, say "veterinary hospital" or "clinic" in the first line — applicants coming from boarding or shelter kennel work may not expect a clinical environment, and the reverse is also true.

State plainly what the entry path is.

BLS says certifications are not required for animal care and service workers, though they may help establish credentials, and that these workers typically have a high school diploma or equivalent and learn the occupation on the job.

Ask for what actually matters to you — comfort around animals, schedule availability, reliability — instead of a credential BLS doesn't require.

List duties in the terms BLS itself uses for the role — feeding, cleaning cages and dog runs, exercising and playing with animals — then describe the monitoring and reporting you expect in your own words.

Where the position includes bathing or grooming, BLS and O*NET list bathing, basic grooming, and coat and nail care among the tasks this occupation covers.

If the role includes overnight coverage, say so; BLS's own description of kennel attendants specifically describes caring for pets "often overnight, in place of owners."

Draw the scope boundary clearly.

Keep the clinical functions — diagnose, prognose, prescribe treatment or perform surgery — on your licensed veterinary team, and say so in the posting.

What non-licensed support staff may legally do beyond kennel care depends on your state's veterinary practice act and your supervising veterinarian, so confirm the line before you post.

Naming the boundary in the posting protects the practice and tells the candidate exactly where their responsibility ends.

Disclose the physical and safety reality instead of burying it.

BLS's handbook says veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers — the clinical-side occupations your kennel staff work alongside — have "one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations," and BLS puts the veterinary services industry's overall rate at 10.6 nonfatal injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in 2023, versus 2.4 for all workers.

Naming lifting, cleaning and the possibility of bites, scratches or kicks up front means the person who applies has already decided they're comfortable with it.

Finally, be specific about the schedule.

BLS notes that part-time work is common in this occupation and that "work schedules may vary to include evenings, weekends, and holidays" — if your kennel needs weekend or holiday coverage, put it in the posting instead of surfacing it at the offer stage.

What are the duties and responsibilities of a kennel attendant?

BLS describes the job plainly: kennel attendants care for pets — often overnight, in place of owners — by cleaning cages and dog runs and feeding, exercising and playing with the animals.

The government definition of the occupation they sit in, Animal Caretakers, adds watering, bathing and grooming to that core.

Experienced attendants may also take on basic healthcare and basic grooming tasks.

In the posting, write each duty as a task the applicant can picture doing.

The list below mirrors the template above — edit it down to what your shift actually involves:

• Feeding and watering animals to each patient's written instructions — diet, portion and schedule.
• Cleaning and disinfecting cages, runs, wards and common areas throughout the shift, not once at close.
• Walking, exercising and playing with animals, including supervised yard or play time.
• Monitoring animals for changes in appetite, behavior or condition, and reporting concerns to the technician or veterinarian on duty.
• Handling and restraint as directed by the medical team.
• Bathing and grooming where the position includes it — O*NET's task list for this occupation names washing, brushing, clipping and trimming coats, cutting nails and cleaning ears.
• Record-keeping — logging feedings, care and observations the way your team directs.

Keep the list to non-medical care.

The boundary line in the template — this role does not diagnose, prognose, prescribe treatment or perform surgery — is there to keep those functions on your licensed veterinary team; what non-licensed staff may legally do beyond kennel care varies by state, so confirm your line with your state veterinary board.

Naming the line in the posting protects both the practice and the hire.

If you keep adding clinical tasks to this list, you're drifting toward a veterinary assistant job description; how a kennel attendant becomes a veterinary assistant spells out where one job ends and the other starts.

What goes in a dog kennel attendant job description?

The same core list.

BLS's description of kennel attendants is already built around dogs — it names dog runs specifically and describes caring for pets "often overnight, in place of owners."

A dog kennel attendant job description simply names the dog-specific work your facility does: leash walking, cleaning and disinfecting dog runs, supervised group play or yard time, feeding to each dog's instructions, and an overnight watch if you board.

Two edits make it accurate rather than generic.

If your "kennel" is a veterinary hospital ward with no boarding, delete the overnight line — BLS's overnight wording describes boarding kennels, where facilities operating 24 hours a day may need animal care around the clock.

And if the attendant enforces your intake rules — vaccination records, temperament screening — say so; if enforcing intake policy is part of the job at your facility, the posting should name it.

Expect a wide range of applicants, and expect most of them to have no veterinary-specific background.

BLS says animal care and service workers typically have a high school diploma or equivalent and learn on the job, and that many employers prefer candidates with animal experience — but only a small share of the broader Animal Caretakers workforce comes from a clinic setting in the first place, so many strong candidates will be coming from boarding, grooming or shelter work rather than veterinary medicine.

Compare your draft against current kennel attendant listings to see how other veterinary employers are wording the same role.

Since there's no certification the role requires, screen for comfort and judgment around animals instead: how they'd handle a frightened or aggressive patient, what they'd do if an animal in their care seemed off, and whether they can commit to the schedule you posted.

Screening answers day-one fit; whether someone stays is a bigger question — our guide to cutting turnover in entry-level roles covers why support staff leave and what actually keeps them.

Say the physical and safety reality out loud again at the interview, not just in the posting.

Given how BLS describes injury rates in this line of work, a candidate who hears specifics — lifting, cleaning, the possibility of bites or scratches — and still wants the job is a better sign than one who is surprised by it in week two.

Once someone's hired, our guide on what a kennel attendant actually does covers the same duties and settings from the employee's side, which can help you calibrate training and supervision in the first weeks.

This template is general guidance, not legal advice. If you're unsure how your state's veterinary practice act treats non-licensed support staff, or how to classify hours and overtime for this role, check with a veterinary-savvy employment attorney or your state veterinary board.