Qualified Dog Daycare Handler – Animal Care & Basic Grooming

About the role

This is a hands-on position primarily responsible for safely handling and supervising dogs within our daycare environment. The position also includes structured enrichment, daily animal care, welfare monitoring, basic grooming and maintaining clean and safe animal-care areas.

Key responsibilities

• Safely receive, handle and move dogs throughout the facility.

• Supervise dogs in individual and compatible daycare environments.

• Monitor interactions and maintain safe group arrangements.

• Introduce, separate or relocate dogs according to workplace safety and animal-welfare procedures.

• Deliver structured enrichment activities, including scent activities, puzzle activities, controlled play and appropriate physical exercise.

• Provide dogs with suitable rest periods and manage transitions between activities.

• Follow individual feeding, handling, exercise, enrichment and care instructions.

• Monitor dogs for changes in behaviour, health, stress, comfort or general wellbeing.

• Record and report animal-welfare, health, behaviour and safety concerns.

• Complete daily daycare, care, enrichment and incident records.

About you

• Hold ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services.

• Have at least three years of relevant paid experience in dog daycare, kennels, boarding, shelters or a closely related animal-care environment.

• Have demonstrated experience safely handling dogs of different sizes, breeds, ages and temperaments.

• Have experience planning or delivering animal-enrichment activities.

• Have experience undertaking basic dog-grooming activities.

• Understand canine body language, stress indicators, animal welfare and safe handling.

• Be able to maintain accurate animal-care and workplace records.

• Communicate effectively with clients and team members.

• Be physically capable of safely handling dogs and undertaking active animal-care duties.