Puppy Dreams | Little Rock, AR
Schedule: Full-Time | Weekend Availability Required (Saturday & Sunday)
Before You Apply
This is not an entry-level position.
We are looking for an experienced animal care professional who can lead a kennel team, maintain health and cleanliness standards, and ensure every puppy receives exceptional care.
Applicants without prior kennel, veterinary, boarding, daycare, shelter, or animal care experience will not be considered.
About Puppy Dreams
At Puppy Dreams, puppy health and cleanliness are our top priorities. Our kennel team follows detailed care, sanitation, and health-monitoring procedures to ensure every puppy is healthy, happy, and customer-ready.
As Kennel Lead, you will work directly alongside the Kennel Manager to oversee daily kennel operations, train team members, monitor puppy wellness, and maintain the highest standards of care.
Responsibilities
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead daily kennel operations
- Assist with training and coaching kennel staff
- Ensure kennel checklists are completed accurately
- Hold team members accountable to company standards
- Communicate health concerns to management immediately
- Assist with scheduling and shift coverage when needed
Puppy Health & Wellness
- Monitor puppies for signs of illness or behavioral changes
- Administer medications accurately
- Perform puppy weigh-ins and health checks
- Assist with vaccinations, microchip verification, and documentation
- Maintain detailed health records
- Identify issues requiring veterinary attention
Kennel Operations
- Clean and sanitize kennels according to company protocols
- Ensure puppies have fresh food, water, bedding, and enrichment
- Maintain isolation procedures when necessary
- Ensure all puppies are store-ready throughout the day
- Complete opening and closing kennel duties
Grooming & Presentation
- Assist with puppy baths and grooming preparation
- Nail trims, ear cleaning, brushing, and general puppy presentation
- Maintain grooming and sanitation equipment
Requirements
Required
✅ Minimum 2 years of animal care experience
✅ Experience in one or more of the following:
- Veterinary Clinic
- Animal Hospital
- Boarding Facility
- Dog Daycare
- Animal Shelter
- Kennel Facility
✅ Experience administering medications
✅ Experience handling animals safely
✅ Weekend availability (Saturday & Sunday)
✅ Ability to lift 50 pounds
✅ Ability to stand, bend, kneel, and clean throughout the day
Preferred
⭐ Leadership or supervisory experience
⭐ Veterinary Assistant experience
⭐ Experience training employees
⭐ Experience maintaining health records
⭐ Grooming experience
Ideal Candidate
You may be a great fit if you:
- Have strong attention to detail
- Take pride in cleanliness and organization
- Enjoy leading by example
- Stay calm under pressure
- Love structured environments and checklists
- Care deeply about animal health and welfare
- Are dependable and rarely miss work
What Success Looks Like
Within 90 days:
- Kennel standards are consistently maintained
- Team members follow procedures correctly
- Health concerns are identified quickly
- Medication administration is accurate
- Kennel audits consistently pass inspection
- Puppies remain healthy, clean, and customer-ready
Benefits
- Employee Discount
- Growth Opportunities
- Leadership Development
- Hands-On Animal Care Experience
Pay: $14.00 - $16.00 per hour
Benefits:
Application Question(s):
- How many years of professional animal care experience do you have?
- Have you worked in any of the following environments?
Veterinary Clinic
Animal Hospital
Boarding Facility
Dog Daycare
Animal Shelter
Grooming Facility
- Have you administered medications to animals?
- Are you available to work Saturdays and Sundays?
- Have you ever supervised, trained, or led other employees?
- Which best describes your experience?
Kennel Technician
Veterinary Assistant
Animal Care Technician
Grooming Assistant
Shelter Staff
Other Animal Care Role (Please Describe)
- This position requires cleaning and sanitizing kennels daily. Are you comfortable performing physically demanding cleaning tasks every shift?
- Tell us about your animal care experience and the types of animals you have worked with.
- Describe a time you identified a health concern with an animal and what actions you took.
- Why do you believe you would be successful leading a kennel team?
- Describe a time you had to correct a coworker who wasn't following procedures.
Work Location: In person
