Dog Walker/ Animal Care Specialist

An exciting opportunity to come and work with Adored Animals Pet Services, a family run business based in Irthlingborough, we are looking for a confident, personable & dedicated individual to grow as a team and within the business.

This role is currently averaging around 20 hours per week for the group dog walk rate, this will very quickly increase to 30+ hours.

More hours can be taken on solo walks, house sitting, cat visits etc., but these are paid at different rates.

We would really love to have someone who wants to grow within the business and has a passion for providing the best possible customer experience.

You can expect your take home pay to be around £24 000 a year as a minimum, IF you work across our other services.

• You MUST have experience working with or caring for animals - owning your own pet will be considered subject to providing an outstanding cover letter.
• You MUST have a full UK drivers license (manual) and access to a vehicle - company van to be provided for those 21 and older - must be working across our group walking services.
• You MUST live within 7 miles from Wellingborough

Interview stages & hiring process:

1. In person interview

2. If successful you will be invited for 1 trial day.

3. The next stage will be acceptance of contract for services, with schedule and training to commence next day onward.

4. You will then have to undergo rigorous training across dog walking, home visits, drop - ins and conducting services to our very high standard.

5. Training lasts up to 2 weeks, there is a signing bonus of £150 - £300 dependent on services taken up.

Group dog walks is walking up to 4 medium to XL breeds on lead to a designated point and then letting the dogs off lead - this will require you to maintain pack order and stability on the walk.

Responsibilities ( Non - exhaustive)

You will be responsible for behavior modification training and training new dogs to be accepted onto pack walks - training can vary from aggression to simple recall and leash training. Training, procedures and processes of the business are to be strictly followed in all aspects. Our techniques and training methods are to be followed at all times.

The training is very involved and is constantly on going with all dogs in our care, training is a lifelong process and you will be responsible for the upkeep, handling and maintaining of positive behavior in a pack of dogs.

Group dog walks can be from 4 - 6 dogs per walker.

Following handling, security and safety processes of the business and dealing with sensitive information.

Management of dogs with known bite history, aggression or behavioral issues.

Having meet & greets with new clients and their pets.

Maintaining and looking after personal property, administering medication - oral or subcutaneous, following owners instructions.

Managing client interactions and communications, replying in timely and prompt manner to all messages.

Accommodating last minute booking requests.

Acting as first point of call for emergency's and being able and equipped to handle any emergencies of pets in your care.

Participating in ongoing training and progression opportunities provided by the company, such as emergency canine first-aid and other skills relevant to the role.

Providing summaries of care and other necessary documentation to ensure clear communication with clients and efficient management of services.

Controlling 4 very large dogs on lead and then off lead in a public space will require you to follow our procedures and policies and undertake our strict training. This is a huge responsibility and is not to be undertaken lightly. You will be taught proper slip-lead techniques and how to handle large dog breeds, a confident and hands on person is needed for this role.

Group dog walks work on a buddy system where possible, so you can expect to walk 2-6 dogs per walker.

Group dog walks require constant training, and behaviour analysis, you will be responsible for the safety and care of all animals, including ongoing training and behaviour modification and control of large dogs on and off lead.

We are not here to accommodate your career change.

We work with rescues, referrals from charities and dogs with known BITE HISTORY.

We need someone who can start ASAP, and not have an existing 4 week notice period.

This job is NOT suited for people with outside commitments.

You must have excellent comprehension skills both verbal and written.

Initially we will require the candidate to take on dog walking, puppy visits and home sits, if more hours are needed, we will train you to carry out other services offerings to increase your income.

Home sits are overnight stays and typically run from 17:00pm until 8:00am the next day.

Cat visits run either side of the usual working time for dog walks, i.e 7:00am - 9:00am and then 16:00pm until 19:00pm.

The ideal candidate will be high in conscientiousness, have a high level of empathy and have experience in a customer facing role and be able to accommodate to the clients schedule.

Please see other job advert opportunities as we are hiring for the following positions dog walkers , groomers, house sitters etc.

Dog walker & Pet care professional:

• Monday - Friday, approximately 8:30am start with 2pm - 4pm finish for dog walking only - more hours and work can be offered across cat sitting, overnight stays etc.
• You will be provided with a company van to use, ONLY if you work across group dog walking.
• More hours can be provided if the candidate takes home - sitting assignments and works across the cat care side of the business etc. There is an abundance of work.
• We are a very busy service, we would love to have a person who is a real team - player and supports everyone as we continue to grow and improve.
• You will work across all dog walking services, puppy visits, drop - in visits, pet taxi.
• We will pay for all your training, with ongoing support and professional development.

Candidate needs to be very flexible with their scheduling due to last minute bookings and the nature of the role. The owners tend to be busy working professionals who have last minute schedule changes, it is expected that you are ready to take on last minute requests and to respond to clients in a timely manner.

The ideal candidate will be able to do home - sitting assignments, alongside doing walks in the day. This is a good way to incentivize yourself and increase take home earnings.

We also run a pay for performance model - you will be paid extra depending on how well you perform.

Criteria for application to be considered:

• Full Clean UK driving licence
• Cover Letter AND CV
• Looking for a long term position
• Absolutely adores animals
• Own vehicle and comfortable transporting dogs in, if we cannot give you access to a company van

This role contains many hours of driving, and lots of walking - you need to be fit and able bodied for this role. You must be willing to learn and be confident to administer medication.

If you think this role is just walking in a field with dogs by your side then you are very mistaken; it is hard work, but a very rewarding career for the right person.

We have a clear line of communication with our customers and you will be expected to give summaries of care and carry out multiple other tasks during services.

You will be the first point of call for emergencies and for the care of pets you are responsible for - a mature person is a must for this role.

The work is self - employed, you will be subcontracted by Adored Animals Pet Services.

We provide you with clients, equipment, van, fuel, create invoices, manage marketing etc. We will also help you get set up as self - employed.

Schedules are published a week in advance, however, this can change last minute, and we have to work around clients, they do not work around you.

Give this role serious consideration before applying.

You can visit our website at https://adoredanimals.co.uk

What we will do for you:

• Ongoing training and progression - You will initially be trained in emergency canine first-aid.
• Uniform, clients, equipment is all provided to you by Adored Animals. Fuel is paid for if given access to company vehicle.
• Once trained, you will be given a company van to use during working hours ( Subject to having held driving licence for 2 or more years)
• You will be paid per hour for dog walking £10.50 - £13.00 per hour.
• Progression opportunities
• Potential earnings of up to £42 000 per annum - depending on motivation to take multiple opportunities presented to you
• Opportunity to work alongside a professional team and to learn new skills and be part of a business that is rapidly growing.
• Opportunity to travel across the UK to visit new and exciting locations
• Office based location, on - site parking with facilities and cafe to use.

What we require from you:

• You must have professional experience working with animals .
• We require an enhanced DBS check
• Excellent comprehension skills, and a passion for going above and beyond for all our customers - pet or human.
• Strong, confident individual - we work with extra large breeds, rescues, and dogs with behavioral problems.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Salary: £10.50-£20.00 per hour

Expected hours: 12 – 34 per week

Benefits:

• Company car
• Company events
• Free parking
• On-site parking

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Supplemental pay types:

• Commission pay
• Signing bonus

Application question(s):

• Why should we consider you for this role among all the other applicants?

Licence/Certification:

• Driving Licence (required)

Work Location: In person

Expected start date: 10/04/2024