Kennel worker

In this job, 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 and cages
•  maintain cages, runs and kennel grounds
•  look after elderly, ill or distressed animals
•  answer telephone calls and greet visitors to the premises

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to use your initiative
• to be flexible and open to change
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• customer service skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You may need a driving licence for some jobs.

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• volunteering
• applying directly

With experience, you could become a supervisor or manager, or set up your own kennels or cattery.

You could move into other kinds of work with animals, like dog trainer, RSPCA inspector or veterinary nurse.