Dog Pound Assistant | Kaimahi Whakahaere Kararehe

The people of Porirua City are what makes ours a truly special place – we take pleasure in helping and caring for each other. We want everyone to feel welcome here, whether they’re visiting, living or working here. We’re looking for people who will help position our city as a welcoming, dynamic place to live, work and visit.

About the role

We’re looking for a Dog Pound Assistant to join our Animal Control team and help care for dogs housed at the Dog Pound facility.

In this role you’ll:

• Feed dogs and carry out regular pound cleaning duties
• Clean kennels and pound areas using clearly defined procedures
• Open and close the pound facility safely and securely
• Help maintain a clean, healthy, and secure environment for dogs in our care
• Provide day-to-day care for animals housed in the Animal Control Centre
• Provide backup support to Animal Control Officers when required

This is a fixed term role helping the team to cover daily duties whilst another employee is on leave for 6 months. The hours of work for this role are Monday to Friday 8:00am to 11:00am, and you must be able to commit to these hours.

About you

You’re focused on supporting both the wellbeing of animals in our care and the safety of the wider community.

You’ll need to show us that you have:

• Proven ability to assess situations quickly and make sound decisions
• Practical experience handling dogs, including the ability to read dog body language
• A sound understanding of animal welfare
• The physical fitness and capability to carry out the demands of the role
• Confidence working both independently and collaboratively
• Strong time management and organisational skills
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• A strong commitment to workplace health and safety
• It would be great if you also have some knowledge of animal welfare and disease transmission and /or recent experience as a dog handler or animal carer
• You must also be comfortable with the realities of pound work, including supporting euthanasia procedures when required.

What you need to do now

You’ll be part of a team that values professionalism, compassion, and doing the right thing for both animals and people. Please contact Suzanne Hokianga, Team Leader Animal Control on 021 374 490 for more information.

Porirua City embraces and values diversity and inclusion. We actively encourage applications by people from all backgrounds and are a member of Te Uru Tāngata Diversity NZ. If you have any support or access requirements during our recruitment process, please let us know when you apply, and we’ll do our best to get you sorted.

You will need to apply via our careers centre: www.poriruacity.govt.nz/careers.

To find out more about working for Porirua City: Watch this video

Applications close on Wednesday 19 August 2026.

Position description Apply now

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