Apprentice Pet Care Assistant
HOME FROM HOME PETCARE LTD
HULL (HU14 3NF)
Closes in 26 days (Sunday 15 November 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 19 October 2026
Contents
Summary
Join Home From Home Pet Care as a Level 2 Animal Care and Welfare Assistant apprentice. You will walk dogs, support play sessions and enrichment activities, and maintain clean, hygienic accommodation, developing practical skills to support animal health, wellbeing and welfare.
- Wage
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£15,600 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Animal care and welfare assistant (level 2)
- Hours
-
Working hours are 8.00am - 4.00pm, with a 30 minute lunch break. You will work five days per week, including one college day and one weekend day on a rota basis.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
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Monday 7 December 2026
- Duration
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1 year
- Positions available
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1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
Duties allocated according to age, training and supervision requirements.
- Dog Walking
- Support supervised play sessions and provide enrichment activities
- Clean kennels, animal accommodation and communal areas, following hygiene procedures
- Wash, dry and organise animal bedding and other laundry
- Check and refresh drinking water
- Support the care and welfare of cats and small animals, including rabbits and rats, when housed on site.
- Observe animals’ behaviour and wellbeing, reporting any concerns to the team
- Learn and follow the traffic light system used to identify animals’ handling and behaviour needs
- Gradually develop customer service skills, including welcoming customers and assisting with the booking-in system
Apprentices aged 18 and over will also have opportunities, following appropriate training and under supervision, to:
- Take a more hands-on role in behaviour training
- Prepare and provide feeds according to individual animals’ requirements
- Assist with administering medication, following instructions and workplace procedures
Where you'll work
TRANBY LANE
SWANLAND
HULL
HU14 3NF
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
BISHOP BURTON COLLEGE
Training course
Animal care and welfare assistant (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- comply with UK and EU Animal related legislation
- work effectively in a safe and healthy working environment following current / relevant health and safety legislation and work place policies
- identify and report potential hazards and breaches of security within animal accommodation/enclosures
- clean and maintain animal accommodation/enclosures/environment and equipment and provide appropriate resources including species specific enrichment (e.g. hiding, perches and areas to dig)
- maintain hygiene, bio security procedures and infection controls when working with animals including quarantine and isolation
- dispose of waste in a safe and appropriate manner in line with legislative and workplace requirements
- store, use and administer medication in line with legislative and veterinary instructions as appropriate
- monitor, record and report the health and welfare of animals in line with animal welfare legislation and workplace policies
- observe and be aware of the behaviour of animals and take appropriate actions
- approach/handle/restrain/move/recapture animals as part of routine husbandry appropriate for the species and individual
- exercise/socialise animals and provide appropriate enrichment relevant to their specific needs
- provide appropriate care, for example coat, skin, scales, plumage and feet to ensure good health and appearance
- provide food and water to animals and monitor the intake
- store and care for foodstuffs
- identify and describe animals using appropriate methods to the species involved (e.g. scanning for microchips)
- maintain, update and reference correct records in accordance with current legislation
- deliver customer experience (internal and external), where applicable, in line with workplace policies and procedures
- respond to animal first aid, urgent, ongoing and preventive care requirements as appropriate
- Beyond routine animal husbandry as listed in the core i.e. for animals with specific needs, unknown or unpredictable behaviour: i.e. animals recovering from routine operations such as neutering, or who may be obese, pregnant or fearful. Behaviour such as barking or pulling on the lead or who react unpredictably when meeting other animals.
- follow a prepared interaction/handling plan to prepare the animal and resources required i.e. muzzle, collar leads, harnesses, head collars, crush cage, grasper, snake hook, hoods
- undertake interaction/handling activities and use methods such as desensitisation and socialisation in accordance with the interaction/handling plan
- handle the animal throughout the interaction/handling to promote the animal’s health, normal behaviour and physical and emotional welfare
- monitor, report and record the response and welfare of the animal throughout interaction/handling activities
- apply techniques which take into account the animal’s welfare and emotional wellbeing, such as positive reinforcement to interact/handle the animal
- contribute to the assessment of an animal’s readiness for rehoming
- provide advice to customers/clients on the suitability of animals according to their circumstances and experience in line with the workplace policies and procedures
- support customers/clients during the rehoming/intake process and provide direction to further sources of information and guidance following rehoming of an animal
- contribute to the assessment of the animal during the intake process
- contribute to the matching process
- prepare means of transport appropriate for animals, ensuring serviceability and cleanliness
- prepare animals for movement and/or transportation taking into consideration their welfare potentially dealing with sick or injured animals
- use of appropriate equipment and methods to move and transport animals ensuring their safety and security
- monitor the physical and emotional health and welfare of animals during and after movement and transportation
- identify route and contingency plans
- identify if an animal required veterinary care and take appropriate action
- present a safe, friendly and welcoming reception for internal and external customers/clients/animals as appropriate
- provide information, advice, support and guidance on a range of topics such as animal care and welfare to customers/clients and seek advice when necessary
- use appropriate methods of technology for internal and external communication such as telephone, walkie talkies, email and scanning documents
- prepare, receive and store deliveries of goods including animal related products such as food stuffs and sundry items
- prepare and display stock for sale, including stock rotation
- take payment for goods, services and charitable donations
- process customer and animal registrations and bookings
- keep records for individual animals and people in line with the organisation’s procedures
- prepare animals and environment for mating
- monitor animals during parturition, recognising signs of difficulty
- carry out general care of animals through gestation
- prepare and manage pregnant animals pre and post parturition
- provide appropriate care and monitoring of neonates
- carry out procedures for caring for the young (once weaned) and introducing them to new environments
- socialise young animals appropriately
- fit and maintain appropriate equipment, ensuring the dog can operate safely
- conduct refresher/maintenance training with the support of a helper and dog trainer at an appropriate frequency to maintain the minimum standard of operational performance.
- interpret the dog’s behaviour and indications and react accordingly to the operational situation
- ensure that the dog team (handler and dog) maintains the minimum standard of operational performance as determined by national standards or the employers’ policies and procedures
- operate the dog team within the legal and ethical framework associated with their employment
- transport working dogs
- respond to collection requests
- identify wild animals that are suitable for rehabilitation and release
- plan and undertake rehabilitation for release into the wild
- capture and handle healthy and casualty wild animals
- move and transport wild animals appropriately
- release and monitor wild animals as appropriate
- carry out the hand rearing of wildlife species
- identify a range of different species (wildlife) or breeds (domestic) in order to understand the behavioural and ecological needs of the animal as well as be aware of the potential risks it may pose
- support, as directed, a veterinary surgeon / veterinary nurse in a clinical environment with: dealing with potential and actual emergency situations pre and post-operative care patient monitoring for example anaesthetic monitoring in-patient care diagnostic care/tests/X-rays – positioning and exposing the dispensing and administration of medication end of life care for pets and providing support for the owner
Training schedule
Training will take place at Bishop Burton College, typically one day per week, where you will complete your off-the-job training. You will spend the remaining four days in the workplace, developing practical skills and gaining hands-on experience.
More training information
Any additional information about the delivery of this apprenticeship will be discussed at your college interview.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 3/D)
- Maths (grade 3/D)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
Much of this role involves working outdoors in all weather conditions and throughout the seasons. It is physically demanding, with long periods on your feet, dog walking and practical animal care duties.
A significant part of each day involves cleaning kennels, washing bedding and maintaining high standards of hygiene. You must be comfortable working around animal waste, noise and strong smells, and following safety procedures when handling animals with different temperaments. Patience, reliability and a willingness to complete routine cleaning tasks are essential.
The business is based on Tranby Lane, Swanland, and is not well connected to public transport, so you will need to plan reliable travel to and from work.
About this employer
Home From Home Pet Care is a family-run business based in Swanland, East Yorkshire, providing animal care since 1992. Services include boarding for dogs, cats and small animals, alongside dog day care, grooming, training and pet supplies. The team focuses on providing a safe, comfortable environment, with care and activities tailored to each animal’s individual needs.
We offer a great starting point for anyone looking to build a career in animal care, with a wealth of experience to share. You will join a supportive team with a strong team spirit, where colleagues work together and help each other develop. We value our staff and recognise their contribution, including organising staff events twice a year.
https://hfhpetcare.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
Paid annual leave and statutory sick pay in line with statutory entitlements and eligibility.
Staff discount on retail items.
Free day care for your own animals, subject to availability and approval from senior management.
Uniform provided.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
On successful completion of the apprenticeship, there may be an opportunity to progress onto a Level 3 apprenticeship and further develop your animal care skills. You may also be offered a permanent, full-time role as a qualified member of the team, with pay reflecting your role and responsibilities. Progression will depend on your performance and the needs of the business.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
BISHOP BURTON COLLEGE
Jade Bishop
apprenticeshipenquiries@bishopburton.ac.uk
01964553056
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000059809.
Apply now
Closes in 26 days (Sunday 15 November 2026 at 11:59pm)