Kennel Technician

Salary : $38,325.94 Annually
Location : Newton, NC
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 02378
Department: Emergency Services
Division: Animal Services
Opening Date: 08/14/2026
Closing Date: 8/28/2026 11:59 PM Eastern


New as of 01/01/2026:

Your well-being matters from the start - benefited new hires are eligible for up to 40 hours of advanced annual leave and 40 hours of advanced sick leave.

Position Description
Catawba County Emergency Services is seeking a compassionate and dependable Kennel Technician to join the Animal Services team. In this role, you will provide daily care to animals in the shelter, ensuring they receive proper feeding, cleaning, medical attention, and enrichment. You'll assist with intake and inventory, support outreach events and clinics, and assist in reuniting lost pets with their families. This position is ideal for someone with a strong work ethic, excellent multitasking and communication skills, and a genuine passion for animal welfare.

The schedule is 40 hours a week, Saturday - Wednesday, 8 AM - 5 PM, with some holiday work required to care for the needs of animals.

Responsibilities

• Intake of animals, including computer input, vaccination, and temperament evaluation
• Care for animals, including cleaning and sanitizing kennels and animals, as well as feeding and watering
• Assessing and organizing proper medical care
• Socializing animals
• Inventory and tracking of animals
• Assisting the public with questions over the phone and in person
• Out taking and returning animals to their owners
• Keeping up to date with lost and found reports
• Assisting with various clinics (spay/neuter, etc.), outreach events (foster, adoption, etc.), or veterinarian appointments; transporting animals as needed
• Euthanizing animals, as needed, that are sick, injured, or do not meet the criteria for adoption or rescue

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED equivalent, along with customer service experience and the demonstrated ability to perform the essential duties of the position
• Previous experience working with and interacting with animals is required. (This experience must be included in the application to be considered.)

Additional Requirements

• NC Certified Euthanasia Technician or ability/willingness to obtain within a specified timeframe
• Certified Rabies Vaccinator or ability/willingness to obtain certification within a specified timeframe
• Valid driver's license with a safe driving record (Driving is an essential function of this position)
• Highly self-motivated with the ability to work independently and in a team
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Highly compassionate
• Strong understanding of animal behavior and care, along with the ability to interact positively and safely with all kinds of animals
• Demonstrates a high level of professionalism with excellent customer service and the ability to handle the public tactfully
• Proficient in computer skills and capable of inputting data into the animal tracking system
• This position is considered Heavy Work, lifting up to 50 pounds daily and occasionally up to 100 pounds with an assistant. It includes substantial physical labor such as lifting, standing, walking, bending, and stooping to clean kennels and care for animals.

As of 7/1/2025:
You will find that Catawba County has one of the best benefits packages around. Our Human Resources staff are dedicated to keeping in touch with trends in benefits on both a local and national level, listening to employees' suggestions regarding benefits, and continually reviewing to ensure our benefits package is of good quality and meets the needs of both our employees and our organization.
Available benefits include:

Health Care

• Health: For a small bi-weekly premium, employees may choose between a traditional (co-pay) health plan and a high deductible health plan coupled with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Coverage may also be purchased for spouse, child(ren), or family.
• Dental Insurance: At no cost to full-time employees, the County covers preventive, routine, and non-routine care. Coverage for the same benefits may also be purchased for spouse, child(ren), and family. In addition, a $2,000 benefit toward orthodontia coverage is provided for children up to age 19.
• Vision Care: Coverage is available, at group rates, for employee and dependents,with 2 plan options to choose from.
• Supplemental critical care and accident insurance plans: These optional coverage plans are available at a nominal cost.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Pre-tax accounts that can be used to pay for qualified out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision expenses.

Employee Wellness

• Employee Health Clinic (EHC): An employee medical clinic, available to all County employees, which operates 40 hours a week. Services provided include acute care, first aid, evaluation and care for workers' compensation injuries, pre-employment screenings, health education, and behavioral health referrals. Services are offered both in person and through telehealth. Acute care is available to employee's children ages 3-17, regardless of health insurance coverage, and for employee's adult children (ages 18-26) or employee's spouse if covered on the county's health insurance.
• Wellness: The County recognizes the importance of our health and well-being. We maintain a very proactive and effective Wellness Program, including reimbursement and discounts for gym membership, incentives for physical activity, on-site nutrition counseling, free exercise opportunities, wellness education, and more.
• Employee Assistance Program: Counseling services are available to all County employees and immediate family members in the home. Services are provided in a private and confidential setting (in-person or virtually). The County provides coverage for the first six visits.

Work Life Balance

• Annual Leave: Full-time employees earn from 10-24 days annually based on years of service. Service credit from other NC and Local Governments in the retirement system may be transferred to the County.
  • To help new employees settle in, up to 40 hours of annual leave is advanced upon hire, with first-year accruals adjusted to align with established annual limits.
• Sick Leave: Full-time employees earn one day (8 hours) of sick leave per month. Sick leave from other NC and Local Governments in the retirement system may be transferred to the County.
  • New hires are advanced up to 40 hours of sick leave, with first-year accruals adjusted to align with established annual limits.
• Holiday Leave: Throughout the year, 11 days of paid leave are provided in recognition of holidays.
• Flexible work schedules.
• Time off for activities that support our local schools.
• Continuing educational assistance.
• Discount tickets to recreational venues.
• Employee appreciation days/activities.
• Tax-free flexible spending account to pay for dependent care.

Financial Security

• Local Governmental Employees Retirement System: For employees assigned to work 20 hours per week or more in a benefitted position, participation in this program is automatic. Employees contribute 6% of their salary, which is tax-deferred. After (5) years of creditable service, you become fully vested in the retirement system. Employees may also take advantage of individual and group retirement counseling through the Human Resources department.
• 401K: The County provides a 2% contribution plus an additional 1% match (up to 3% total contribution by the County). Our sworn law enforcement officers receive a flat 5% contribution to their 401k.
• Other Tax Deferred Programs: Other tax-sheltering programs are available through IRS Code 125 (Cafeteria Plan), and a 457 supplemental retirement plan (Deferred Compensation).
• Longevity Pay: After 5 years of creditable service, employees receive an annual longevity payment that is paid every year thereafter. This lump sum payment rewards employees for their length of service to Catawba County. The amount is based on years of service.
• Life Insurance: Death benefit equal to one times the employee's annual salary, with a minimum coverage amount of $25,000. Optional supplemental life insurance coverage is also available for both employee and dependents through payroll deduction at group rates.
• Short Term Disability: Available at no cost to employees, benefits are available after a 55-day waiting period.
• Long Term Disability: Available through payroll deduction at group rates.
• Eligibility for membership and financial services at State Employees Credit Union (SECU)/Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU).

01


Describe your experience with animals, including paid and volunteer work. (Include type of company/organization, type of animals, and your role.)
02


The schedule is 40 hours a week, Saturday - Wednesday, 8 AM - 5 PM, with some holiday work required to care for the needs of animals. Are you available and willing to work this schedule?

• Yes
• No

03


3) This position requires you to perform euthanasia of animals that do not meet the criteria for adoption/rescue or sick/injured animals. Please check the box that most closely describes your ability/willingness to perform this task.

• Yes, I have assisted with euthanasia before.
• Yes, I can/will assist with euthanasia although I have not done so before.
• I am unsure if I am able to assist with euthanasia.
• No, I am unable to assist with euthanasia.

Required Question