How To Become A Kennel Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a kennel assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Kennel assistants take care of animals in animal shelters and vet clinics, or any other place where animals are held in cages. The animals to look after are mostly cats and dogs, but occasionally there might be birds and rodents, as well. No formal education is necessary to fill this role, but you have to love animals and be emotionally available for dealing with them.

Most of the job is cleaning the kennels and providing fresh food and water for the animals regularly. Kennel assistants have to make sure the animals get enough opportunity to move around. They attend to individual needs when necessary, sometimes taking care of bathing and grooming as well. They report on the animals' conditions to the owners or vets in charge.

A high school diploma is all the formal education you will need to fill this role, but applicants who have prior experience working with animals are usually preferred. Having patience and the ability to follow detailed instructions when handling sick animals is key. On the job training is usually provided during your first couple of weeks.

ScoreKennel AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.0

Avg. Salary $26,180

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.2

Growth Rate 19%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

0.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.14%

Asian 3.21%

Black or African American 2.68%

Hispanic or Latino 17.59%

Unknown 6.83%

White 69.55%

Gender

female 80.75%

male 19.25%

Age - 27

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 27

Stress Level

7.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.6

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a kennel assistant

Explore kennel assistant education requirements

Most common kennel assistant degrees

High School Diploma

34.2 %

Bachelor's

32.5 %

Associate

21.8 %

Start to develop specific kennel assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
PET	53.09%
Patients	11.77%
Animal Hospital	7.39%
Cleanliness	5.84%
Facility Laundry	3.21%

Complete relevant kennel assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New kennel assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a kennel assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real kennel assistant resumes.

Gain additional kennel assistant certifications

Kennel assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific kennel assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for kennel assistants include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research kennel assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage, and safely operate the MWD explosive program.
Assist veterinarian in day-to-day animal hospital activities including processing lab work administering medication, performing x-rays, feeding and cleaning patients.
Insert iv needles into animals to obtain blood samples.
Keep current all facilities licenses necessary for the euthanasia of animals.

Prepare your kennel assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your kennel assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a kennel assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Kennel Assistant Resume templates

Build a professional Kennel Assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Kennel Assistant resume.

Apply for kennel assistant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a kennel assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do kennel assistants rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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1 Star

Kennel Assistant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2021

Pros

Knowing that you are supporting Doctor's , Nurses , and other health care providers, helping people recover from illness or injury and if they are in the end stages allowing them to have respect and dignity in the end stages of life, being able to give aid and comfort to their families. Seeing that love ones even if they have no family receive respect. I enjoy helping people when they need it the most.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Cons

Short Staffing