Dream job for animal lovers available at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home - here’s how to apply

Edinburgh is a city of animal lovers, with many of us dreaming of being able to call working with our furry friends our job.

Thanks to a new opportunity from the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home (EDCH), that dream could come true.

What’s the job?

The ECDH is looking for kennel assistants to join their team.

Does this sound like the dream job for you? (Photo: Shutterstock)

The role is summarised as “working within a highly focused small team, the kennel/cattery assistant role is vital to the running of the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home operations”.

The job description states, “As a kennel assistant, you’ll work to the Home’s code of practice and Health and Safety guidelines, to provide exemplary daily care for the dogs and cats and educate potential new owners and the general public in the care and welfare of their animals, establishing excellent customer relations for the Home.”

Your duties and responsibilities

Your duties and responsibilities in this role will cover a wide range of work, including:

- Preparing and providing food and water for dogs in the kennel area

- Cleaning, disinfecting and maintaining the hygiene and cleanliness of the kennels and general work areas

- Grooming the cats and dogs and working with them in a calm and controlled manner

- Weighing the dogs at the end of each week and developing feeding plans for them

- Help the dogs exercise and socialise

- Help in handling the dogs during examinations and treatments

The role isn’t just limited to working with the animals, as there are administrative responsibilities as well, such as:

- Assist the kennel manager/assistant kennel manager in the up keep of animal records

- Manage kennel records on a daily basis

- Reporting hazards

- Keeping activity records up to date

You’ll also be expected to undertake customer service duties.

The hours

The job description states that the EDCH is looking for one part time kennel assistant for 24 hours per week (weekend working and one week day), one full time kennel assistant for 40 hours per week, working from a rota of Monday to Sunday, and two full time dog board assistants.

The roles will require early starts, late finishes and weekend working, as well as working outside in all kinds of weather.

The pay is £18,720 per annum (pro rata for part time positions), which will rise to the Living Wage in April 2020.

Who are they looking for?

The person specification for the roles state:

- You should be educated to SQA level or equivalent - an animal care qualification is desirable

- You should have some experience (be it paid or unpaid) of working with dogs and/or cats, and should be confident in handling all breeds and temperaments of animals

- It would be desirable if you had previous experience in a kennel/cattery environment, and experience of dealing with the general public

- You should be able to communicate well, follow procedures and be able to work in an emotionally demanding environment

- Personality wise, you should have an interest and passion for the welfare of dogs and cats, be a team player, outgoing, approachable and confident

How to apply

To apply for these opportunities, you should download the application form found on the EDCH website here.

The application form covers the usual person details like your name, address and phone number.

It will then ask about your education and training, your employment record and then ask for a 500 word personal statement about why you’re interested in the position and what knowledge, skills and attributes you would bring to the EDCH.

Finally, you’ll be asked to provide two references - if applicable, these would be your two most recent employers, but if not you’ll need to clearly outline who these referees are.

Once you’ve completed the application form, you should email it to [email protected].

The closing date for the jobs is 26 January 2020 at midnight.

Due to the high volume of applications, the EDCH won’t be able to acknowledge every application, but if you are selected for an interview, you should be contacted within two weeks of the closing date.