Pet Groomer

Groomer / Pet Store Associate

Job Title: Pet Groomer & Retail Associate
Department: Grooming / Retail Operations
Reports To: Store Manager / Owner
Employment Type: Full-Time or Part-Time

Position Summary

We are seeking a compassionate, reliable, and skilled Groomer / Pet Store Associate to provide professional grooming services for dogs and cats while delivering exceptional customer service within our retail pet store. This position is responsible for safely handling pets, performing grooming services, maintaining grooming equipment and sanitation standards, assisting customers with pet product selection, operating the point-of-sale system, and supporting daily store operations.

The ideal candidate has experience working with animals, strong customer service skills, attention to detail, and the ability to safely groom pets of all breeds, coat types, ages, and temperaments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Professional Pet Grooming Services

Dog Grooming Services

Perform grooming services for all dog breeds and coat types, including:

• Bathing and shampooing
• Conditioner treatments
• De-shedding treatments
• Blow drying and fluff drying
• Brush-outs and de-matting
• Full body haircuts
• Breed-standard cuts
• Senior dog grooming
• Sanitary trims
• Face trims
• Paw and foot trims
• Feathering trims
• Hand scissoring
• Coat thinning and blending
• Nail trimming
• Nail grinding/dremeling
• Ear cleaning
• Teeth brushing
• Anal gland expression
• Flea and tick bathing treatments (non-medical)
• Specialty skin and coat treatments
• Shed-control packages
• Seasonal grooming packages

Cat Grooming Services

Perform grooming services for cats, including:

• Bathing
• Drying
• Brush-outs
• De-shedding treatments
• De-matting
• Sanitary trims
• Belly shaves
• Lion cuts
• Full body trims
• Nail trimming
• Nail caps application
• Ear cleaning
• Coat conditioning treatments
• Long-haired breed maintenance
• Senior cat grooming
• Specialty coat care

Animal Handling

• Safely handle pets of varying sizes, ages, breeds, and temperaments.
• Utilize humane restraint techniques.
• Monitor pets for signs of stress, anxiety, aggression, injury, illness, or discomfort.
• Immediately report concerns to management and pet owners.
• Maintain detailed grooming records and customer notes.
• Ensure pets are safely checked in and checked out.

Pet Health & Safety Responsibilities

• Conduct visual pre-groom assessments.
• Identify obvious skin, coat, ear, nail, or dental concerns and communicate observations to pet owners.
• Refer owners to a veterinarian when health concerns are observed.
• Follow all animal welfare standards.
• Maintain safe handling practices.
• Prevent injury to pets, customers, and coworkers.
• Follow emergency procedures for injured or distressed animals.
• Follow company bite prevention and incident reporting procedures.
• Maintain current rabies awareness training.

Retail Associate Responsibilities

• Greet customers and provide excellent customer service.
• Educate customers on grooming services and products.
• Recommend pet foods, treats, toys, supplements, grooming tools, and accessories.
• Operate point-of-sale systems and process transactions.
• Schedule grooming appointments.
• Answer phone calls and customer inquiries.
• Stock shelves and merchandise products.
• Receive and organize inventory.
• Maintain store cleanliness and appearance.
• Assist with promotional displays and seasonal merchandising.
• Open and close the store as assigned.
• Handle customer concerns professionally.

Facility Maintenance & Sanitation

• Clean grooming tables, tubs, kennels, and workstations.
• Disinfect tools and equipment between pets.
• Launder towels and grooming materials.
• Maintain a clean and odor-free grooming environment.
• Properly dispose of animal waste and biohazard materials.
• Follow OSHA workplace safety standards.
• Follow manufacturer guidelines for all equipment and cleaning chemicals.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 18 years of age.
• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Prior professional grooming experience preferred.
• Knowledge of dog and cat breeds, coat types, and grooming techniques.
• Ability to safely handle pets of all sizes.
• Strong customer service and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Reliable attendance and punctuality.
• Basic computer and point-of-sale proficiency.

Physical Requirements

Employee must be able to:

• Stand and walk for extended periods.
• Bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, and reach frequently.
• Lift and carry up to 50 pounds independently.
• Lift larger pets with assistance.
• Safely restrain animals during grooming procedures.
• Use grooming tools and equipment for extended periods.
• Work in environments with animal hair, dander, cleaning products, and moderate noise levels.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Dog breed identification
• Cat breed identification
• Breed-specific grooming standards
• Animal behavior recognition
• Safe animal restraint techniques
• Time management
• Appointment scheduling
• Customer conflict resolution
• Retail sales techniques
• Equipment maintenance
• Sanitation procedures
• First aid awareness for pets and humans
• Attention to detail

Wisconsin-Specific Compliance Requirements

Employees must:

• Comply with all applicable Wisconsin employment laws.
• Follow federal OSHA workplace safety standards.
• Follow all animal welfare and cruelty prevention laws.
• Maintain a safe working environment.
• Report workplace injuries promptly.
• Comply with company rabies exposure protocols.
• Maintain confidentiality of customer information.
• Be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Successfully complete any required background screening.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional grooming certification from a recognized grooming program.
• Experience grooming both dogs and cats.
• Experience handling anxious, senior, special-needs, or behaviorally challenging pets.
• Retail sales experience.
• Pet nutrition knowledge.
• Pet first aid and CPR certification.

Work Environment

This position involves frequent interaction with animals, customers, and coworkers in a fast-paced retail and grooming environment. Employees should be comfortable working around barking dogs, vocal cats, pet hair, grooming equipment, cleaning products, and occasional animal-related accidents.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Animart Pet Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Compensation: Competitive hourly wage and/or commission structure based on experience, performance, certifications, and service volume.

Pay: $15.00 - $20.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Employee discount

Work Location: In person