Animal Care Assistant

About the Role

This is a practical, hands-on animal care position combining day shifts, overnight animal care duties, and driving responsibilities. You’ll be working a structured 4 days on / 4 days off rota with day shifts running 07:00–18:00 and one paid overnight shift per week, making for genuinely manageable scheduling. Based in Ilchester/Yeovil, you’ll be caring for dogs across the facility’s daycare and boarding operations, with immediate start available.

The role suits someone with genuine kennel or pet care experience who’s comfortable handling dogs of all temperaments and sizes, and has a clean driving licence (required for company vehicle use on all shifts).

Key Responsibilities

• Daily dog handling, feeding, exercising, and monitoring across daycare and boarding areas
• Overnight pet care and welfare checks (one shift per week, paid separately)
• Safe handling of dogs of varying sizes and temperaments
• Driving company vehicles to support pet services on all shifts
• Maintaining kennel hygiene and cleaning to licensed facility standards
• Monitoring animal health, behaviour, and wellbeing throughout shifts
• Working within licensed kennel and daycare regulations

Requirements

• Professional animal handling experience (kennels, dog daycare, pet boarding, rescue, veterinary, or similar)
• Clean UK driving licence (essential – required for company vehicle insurance)
• Aged 25 or over (company vehicle insurance requirement)
• Physically fit and confident handling dogs of all temperaments
• Calm, reliable approach to animal welfare and safety
• Ability to work scheduled day shifts and overnight shifts

Benefits

• Base salary: £22,965 per year
• Paid overnight shifts: £40 per shift
• On-target earnings (OTE): up to £25,045 per year
• Structured, predictable 4-on-4-off rota
• Employee discount
• On-site parking
• Immediate start available

About the Practice

Paws n Klaws Pet Services is a licensed animal care and dog daycare facility based in Ilchester/Yeovil. The business specialises in professional pet boarding, daycare, and animal welfare, operating to licensed standards with a growing team committed to high-quality animal care.