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Kennel Assistant Jobs in Santa Rosa, CA (NOW HIRING)

Veterinary Assistant

Santa Rosa, CA · On-site

$17.25 - $21.50/hr

Our Veterinary Assistants set the tone for the technical and customer support in the hospital, and are responsible, like all team members, for fostering cohesion and motivation within the practice.

Administrative Assistant Location: Downtown Santa Rosa, CA Schedule: Monday - Friday | 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Full-Time, 40 hours/week) Position Overview A well-established professional office in ...

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Administrative Assistant to Certified Public Accountant, Santa Rosa, CA Position Overview: We are a firm specializing in providing accounting and tax services to high-income individuals, estates and ...

Maintain filing systems * Assist with projects as needed Position Requirements: * Excellent communication skills * Strong computer skills including Word, Outlook and Excel; Yardi a plus * Superior ...

Veterinary Assistant

Santa Rosa, CA · On-site

$17.25 - $21.50/hr

VCA PetCare East Veterinary Hospital is adding an experienced Veterinary Assistant to our team. Location : 2425 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 Compensation : $ 19 - $ 20 / hr Schedule : FT 4 ...

Office Assistant III

Lower Lake, CA · On-site

$18.50 - $24.25/hr

Office Assistant III Under limited supervision, the Office Assistant III performs highly responsible, specialized, and technical office support activities; explains rules, policies, and operations ...

Showing results 21-40

Kennel Assistant information

See Santa Rosa, CA salary details

$7

$13

$19

How much do kennel assistant jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average hourly pay for kennel assistant in Santa Rosa, CA is $13.51, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $10.53 and $15.77 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a kennel assistant?

Kennel assistants are animal care workers responsible for the daily care and well-being of animals, usually in boarding kennels, veterinary clinics, or animal shelters. Their duties include feeding, cleaning cages, exercising the animals, and monitoring their health and behavior. Kennel assistants also help with basic grooming and may assist veterinarians or other staff with medical treatments. They play a vital role in maintaining a clean and safe environment for animals and ensuring their comfort while they are away from their owners.

What does a kennel assistant do?

A kennel assistant performs a number of duties at a kennel, veterinary office, animal care shelter, or rescue facility. In this career, your responsibilities are to care for the animals at the facility and provide support to other, more senior animal care professionals, such as vet techs or veterinarians. You also feed the animals, take them for walks or exercise, and ensure that each cage is clean. More senior kennel assistants also help vet professionals with administering medication and vaccinations or perform those functions under supervision.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a kennel assistant, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Kennel Assistant, you need basic animal care knowledge, physical stamina, and often a high school diploma or equivalent as a minimum qualification. Familiarity with cleaning protocols, animal handling equipment, and sometimes pet management software is useful. Dependability, attention to detail, and compassion for animals are essential soft skills in this role. These skills and qualities are important to ensure the well-being of animals, maintain a clean and safe environment, and support effective kennel operations.

What are some common challenges faced by kennel assistants, and how can they be managed effectively?

Kennel assistants often encounter challenges such as managing multiple animals with different temperaments, maintaining strict cleanliness standards, and working in a fast-paced environment. Effective time management and strong attention to detail help ensure all animals receive proper care and that the facility remains sanitary. Building good communication with team members and supervisors also makes it easier to handle emergencies or behavioral issues. Many facilities provide training on safety protocols and animal handling, so staying proactive in learning and asking questions can make the role more manageable and rewarding.

What is the difference between Kennel Assistant vs Pet Care Attendant?

AspectKennel AssistantPet Care Attendant
Required CredentialsHigh school diploma, on-the-job trainingHigh school diploma, basic pet care knowledge
Work EnvironmentAnimal shelters, kennels, veterinary clinicsPet stores, grooming salons, kennels
Employer & Industry UsageAnimal care facilities, sheltersPet retail, grooming, boarding facilities
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

While both Kennel Assistants and Pet Care Attendants work with animals in similar environments, Kennel Assistants typically focus on cleaning, feeding, and caring for animals in shelters or kennels. Pet Care Attendants may have broader responsibilities, including customer service and pet grooming. The roles often overlap, but Kennel Assistants usually work more directly with animal care tasks in shelter settings.

Is being a kennel assistant worth it?

A kennel assistant performs tasks such as cleaning animal enclosures, feeding pets, and providing basic care, often in a fast-paced environment. The role can offer valuable experience for those interested in animal care and may lead to advancement in the veterinary or pet care fields, but it typically involves physical labor and low to moderate pay. Whether it is worth it depends on individual career goals and interest in working with animals.

What education do you need to be a kennel assistant?

Kennel assistants typically do not need formal higher education but should have a high school diploma or equivalent. Basic knowledge of animal care, good communication skills, and the ability to handle physical tasks are important; some employers may provide on-the-job training or prefer candidates with prior experience working with animals.

What are the most commonly searched types of Kennel jobs in Santa Rosa, CA?

The most popular types of Kennel jobs in Santa Rosa, CA are:

What are popular job titles related to Kennel Assistant jobs in Santa Rosa, CA?

For Kennel Assistant jobs in Santa Rosa, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Kennel Assistant jobs in Santa Rosa, CA look for?

The top searched job categories for Kennel Assistant jobs in Santa Rosa, CA are:

What cities near Santa Rosa, CA are hiring for Kennel Assistant jobs?

Cities near Santa Rosa, CA with the most Kennel Assistant job openings:

Infographic showing various Kennel Assistant job openings in Santa Rosa, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $28,102 per year, or $13.5 per hour.

Veterinary Assistant

Petco

Santa Rosa, CA • On-site

$17.25 - $21.50/hr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 8 days ago


Petco rating

5.7

Company rating: 5.7 out of 10

Based on 640 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

458th of 739 rated retailers


Job description

Want to help pets live their best lives?
We're proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you.
Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what's right for pets and people.
  • Pet First - Protect & Empower. All pets should Live their Best Life. We put the needs of pets and pet parents at the center of everything we do.

  • Foster the Fun - Connect & Bond. Our Passion for pets brings us together! We celebrate the journey of pet parenthood through distinct experiences, products, and services.

  • Let's Go! Own & Commit. We are stronger as One Petco team. We bring our unique superpowers and champion authenticity in everyone to drive success.

About Petco:
We're proud to be "where the pets go" to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years - from their favorite meals and toys, to trusted supplies and expert support from people who get it, because we live it. We believe in the universal truths of pet parenthood - the boundless boops, missing slippers, late night zoomies and everything in between. And we're here for it. Every tail wag, every vet visit, every step of the way. We are 29,000+ strong and together we nurture the pet-human bond in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love. Together, we support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.
Position Purpose:
The purpose of this position inherently involves providing excellent medical care to our Vetco Total Care full-service hospital patients and phenomenal customer care to their owners. The Veterinary Assistant represents the mission and values to all clients. Our Veterinary Assistants set the tone for the technical and customer support in the hospital, and are responsible, like all team members, for fostering cohesion and motivation within the practice.
All hospital staff are responsible for performing their duties in a way that creates an environment in which:
  • The patient's needs always come first.
  • Every team member understands that they have the power to do what it takes to create an exceptional customer experience.
  • contentious issues are dealt with and resolved as they occur when possible, or as soon as is possible.
  • exceptional teamwork and commitment to shared goals benefits the entire organization.

Essential Job Functions
The incumbent must be able to perform all the following duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation:
  • Greet clients and patients arriving for appointments and escort them into an exam room, obtain weight and vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations) and record the electronic medical record. Veterinary Assistants will collect thorough patient histories and document the patient visit in the EMRs.
  • Assist doctors with appointments (routine and emergency), surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia, under supervision from the veterinarian credentialed veterinary technician, , HOM and HLOD.
  • Perform patient restraint, obtain and process laboratory samples, handle and dispense medications at the direction of the veterinarian and help maintain the electronic medical record.
  • Schedule appointments, provide client education, relay test results to doctor and clients, and maintain and update client/patient records.
  • Help prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures and assist doctor and/or veterinary technician in anesthetizing patients. Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, assistants will maintain patients safely under anesthesia while monitoring vital parameters, help monitor patients during recovery and prepare them for hospital discharge or transfer to an overnight care facility.
  • Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients including giving injectable and oral medications as well as intravenous fluid therapy; keep patients clean, watered, and fed (when indicated and directed by doctor), safely walk canine patients when necessary for elimination.
  • Under direction of the HOM/HLOD, assist in the training of new staff members and general dissemination of knowledge as required.
  • Keep hospital environment neat and clean; perform regular cleaning of environment based on necessity as well as based on a pre-determined maintenance schedule.

Other Duties and Responsibilities
  • Perform additional duties as assigned
  • Provide backup phone and front desk support as needed

Nature of Supervision
In all activities related to the care of individual patients, the incumbent will take direct supervision from the veterinarians as well as the Veterinary Technician. For purposes of overall supervision, the incumbent takes direction from the HOM/HLOD or from the supervising technician for the shift.
Planning and Problem Solving
Like all team members, the Veterinary Assistant plays a crucial role in ensuring that day-to-day operation of the hospital is efficient and provides an optimal experience for our patients and clients.
Impact
This position will impact the organization by contributing to the growth of productive practice while focusing on a high-quality standard of care. From an overall hospital organizational standpoint, this position in critical to ensuring that we have a cohesive, well-trained, and motivated technical team. The desired end-result is the creation of an optimal environment that ensures employee retention, patient well-being, and customer satisfaction.
Supervisory Responsibility
This position has no immediate supervisory duties.
Education/Experience
  • Preferred to have at least 1-year previous experience working in veterinary practice or sufficient relatable animal care experience to ensure excellent performance at the above-listed skills
  • Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Must be compassionate and sympathetic, and be able to maintain a professional attitude and demeanor during emotional and stressful situations
  • Must have telephone and computer skills
  • Must be a team player willing to learn new techniques and treatments, offer creative ideas, and accept change

Work Environment:
The majority of job duties are conducted in the Veterinary Hospital. Position requires bending, kneeling, lifting (up to 30 pounds, as necessary) and standing for long periods of time. A large amount of this partner's time will be spent in direct contact with clients and their pets.
Contacts
This position will regularly communicate with clients, veterinary specialists, and companies that provide products and/or services that the practice utilizes.
Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.
The pay ranges outlined below are presented in accordance with state-specific regulations. These ranges may differ in other areas and could be subject to variation based on regulatory minimum wage requirements. Actual pay rates will depend on factors such as position, location, level of experience, and applicable state or local minimum wage laws. If the regulatory minimum wage exceeds the minimum indicated in the pay range below, the regulatory minimum wage will be the minimum rate applied.
$18.50 - $29.50
Hourly or Salary Range will be reflected above. For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO -see https://careers.petco.com/us/en/key-benefits
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