Animal Care & Pet Services Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Iowa
Iowa's animal care and pet services industry offers visa sponsorship opportunities across veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, and research facilities. Major employers include Iowa State University's veterinary programs, VCA Animal Hospitals, and specialty practices in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids that actively recruit international veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
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INTRODUCTION
Avenue of the Saints Animal Hospital is proud to serve Waverly and Charles City, IA, and surrounding areas. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of veterinary medicine and friendly, compassionate service. We are very proud to be an AAHA-accredited practice! We believe in treating every patient as our own pets, giving them the same loving attention and care. We are highly trained, experienced animal lovers dedicated to providing our patients with the highest quality health care possible.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Reporting into the Practice Manager, the Kennel Assistant provides care to address the needs of patients that are visiting the practice for grooming and/or boarding. The Kennel Assistant ensures that the boarding area is clean and safe for all patients by cleaning cages, runs, and ward areas and washing laundry. The Kennel Assistant walks, feeds, and administers medication to patients (as needed and supervised by Doctor or Technician and based on confidence and experience).
Please note: this role is a mixture of animal care and cleaning facility.
Pay: $12 - $15
Applicant must be available for evenings, weekends and holidays.
COMPETENCIES
- Patience & Compassion: Remaining professional while still making Doctors, teammates, clients, and patients feel as comfortable as possible regardless of the situation or challenges presented.
- Collaboration & Teamwork: Carefully coordinating actions with practice team members. Quickly incorporating feedback to ensure positive results. Sharing ideas and being open to others' ideas. Continually looking for ways to help others.
- Communicating: Conveying boarding outcomes to clients and teammates to ensure successful client care.
- Active Listening: Following the expressed wishes of clients.
- Client Satisfaction: Ensuring all activities and interactions result in the highest level of client satisfaction.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provides great care for patients visiting the practice for grooming and/or boarding.
- Ensures patients are admitted noting the client’s specific instructions to ensure a quality outcome including contact information and pick up time.
- Accurately and legibly records information related to the patient such as feeding schedules, appearance, and behavior during practice visit.
- Observes patient’s appearance and activity for general physical condition, obvious signs of illness, disease and discontent.
- Appropriately handles patients and as needed, properly restrains hard-to-control patients.
- Walks patients several times a day to provide exercise and time for elimination of bowels and bladder.
- Applies knowledge of normal food and liquid requirements and as required, provides special food and liquids.
- Ensures patients are clean and fresh smelling and have been checked by a Technician/Doctor prior to discharge; ensures patient has all personal property upon exit.
- Ensures cages and patients are properly numbered and identified and that personal property (toys, treats, blankets, leashes) are stored in the proper areas and identified.
- Regularly cleans, disinfects and maintains kennels, cages, runs and stalls as often as is necessary to ensure no cages or kennels are soiled and odors are not apparent. Performs general cleaning in other areas of the hospital to control the spread of disease. Washes and sterilizes water and food bowls.
- Launders and dries towels and blankets.
- Walks hospital grounds regularly and cleans any trash and stool material; empties trash throughout the practice and grounds.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS
- Ability to work on weekends as required
- Previous veterinary experience preferred
- Ability to lift patients up to 25 pounds; ability to lift patients over 25 pounds with assistance
- Practices OSHA safety techniques including proper PPE
BENEFITS OFFERED
- Paid time off
- Health insurance; dental insurance; vision insurance
- Retirement benefits or accounts
- Bonus incentive
- Flexible work schedules
- Career and professional development
- Employee Assistance Program
- Employee Referral Program
Benefits offered may vary depending on full or part time employment status according to company policy.
PAY RANGE
USD $12.00 - USD $15.00 /Hr.

INTRODUCTION
Avenue of the Saints Animal Hospital is proud to serve Waverly and Charles City, IA, and surrounding areas. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of veterinary medicine and friendly, compassionate service. We are very proud to be an AAHA-accredited practice! We believe in treating every patient as our own pets, giving them the same loving attention and care. We are highly trained, experienced animal lovers dedicated to providing our patients with the highest quality health care possible.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Reporting into the Practice Manager, the Kennel Assistant provides care to address the needs of patients that are visiting the practice for grooming and/or boarding. The Kennel Assistant ensures that the boarding area is clean and safe for all patients by cleaning cages, runs, and ward areas and washing laundry. The Kennel Assistant walks, feeds, and administers medication to patients (as needed and supervised by Doctor or Technician and based on confidence and experience).
Please note: this role is a mixture of animal care and cleaning facility.
Pay: $12 - $15
Applicant must be available for evenings, weekends and holidays.
COMPETENCIES
- Patience & Compassion: Remaining professional while still making Doctors, teammates, clients, and patients feel as comfortable as possible regardless of the situation or challenges presented.
- Collaboration & Teamwork: Carefully coordinating actions with practice team members. Quickly incorporating feedback to ensure positive results. Sharing ideas and being open to others' ideas. Continually looking for ways to help others.
- Communicating: Conveying boarding outcomes to clients and teammates to ensure successful client care.
- Active Listening: Following the expressed wishes of clients.
- Client Satisfaction: Ensuring all activities and interactions result in the highest level of client satisfaction.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provides great care for patients visiting the practice for grooming and/or boarding.
- Ensures patients are admitted noting the client’s specific instructions to ensure a quality outcome including contact information and pick up time.
- Accurately and legibly records information related to the patient such as feeding schedules, appearance, and behavior during practice visit.
- Observes patient’s appearance and activity for general physical condition, obvious signs of illness, disease and discontent.
- Appropriately handles patients and as needed, properly restrains hard-to-control patients.
- Walks patients several times a day to provide exercise and time for elimination of bowels and bladder.
- Applies knowledge of normal food and liquid requirements and as required, provides special food and liquids.
- Ensures patients are clean and fresh smelling and have been checked by a Technician/Doctor prior to discharge; ensures patient has all personal property upon exit.
- Ensures cages and patients are properly numbered and identified and that personal property (toys, treats, blankets, leashes) are stored in the proper areas and identified.
- Regularly cleans, disinfects and maintains kennels, cages, runs and stalls as often as is necessary to ensure no cages or kennels are soiled and odors are not apparent. Performs general cleaning in other areas of the hospital to control the spread of disease. Washes and sterilizes water and food bowls.
- Launders and dries towels and blankets.
- Walks hospital grounds regularly and cleans any trash and stool material; empties trash throughout the practice and grounds.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS
- Ability to work on weekends as required
- Previous veterinary experience preferred
- Ability to lift patients up to 25 pounds; ability to lift patients over 25 pounds with assistance
- Practices OSHA safety techniques including proper PPE
BENEFITS OFFERED
- Paid time off
- Health insurance; dental insurance; vision insurance
- Retirement benefits or accounts
- Bonus incentive
- Flexible work schedules
- Career and professional development
- Employee Assistance Program
- Employee Referral Program
Benefits offered may vary depending on full or part time employment status according to company policy.
PAY RANGE
USD $12.00 - USD $15.00 /Hr.
Job Roles in Animal Care & Pet Services in Iowa
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Which animal care & pet services companies sponsor visas in Iowa?
Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine leads visa sponsorship for veterinary professionals, along with VCA Animal Hospitals locations throughout the state. Large veterinary practices in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport frequently sponsor H-1B visas for veterinarians, while animal research facilities at the University of Iowa also provide sponsorship opportunities for specialized roles in laboratory animal medicine and veterinary research.
How to find animal care & pet services visa sponsorship jobs in Iowa?
Migrate Mate specializes in connecting international professionals with Iowa's animal care employers who sponsor work visas. Focus your search on veterinary hospitals in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa State University's veterinary programs, and specialty animal clinics. Many Iowa veterinary practices actively recruit international talent due to veterinarian shortages, particularly in rural areas and specialized fields like equine medicine.
Which visa types are most common for animal care & pet services roles in Iowa?
H-1B visas dominate for licensed veterinarians and veterinary specialists in Iowa, as these roles require specialized veterinary degrees. TN visas serve Canadian and Mexican veterinarians practicing in border-accessible areas. O-1 visas occasionally apply to internationally recognized veterinary researchers or specialists. J-1 visas support temporary positions at Iowa State University and research institutions, though these typically require return to home country.
Which cities in Iowa have the most animal care & pet services sponsorship jobs?
Des Moines leads with the highest concentration of visa-sponsoring veterinary practices and animal hospitals. Cedar Rapids and Iowa City follow, particularly around the University of Iowa's research facilities. Ames benefits from Iowa State University's veterinary college and associated research programs. Davenport and Sioux City also offer opportunities, especially for veterinarians willing to serve rural communities where sponsorship incentives are stronger.
What are the prevailing wage requirements for animal care professionals in Iowa?
Iowa's prevailing wages for veterinarians typically meet H-1B requirements, especially in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids metropolitan areas. Rural veterinary positions often qualify for higher prevailing wages due to shortage areas. Veterinary technician roles may face challenges meeting H-1B wage thresholds unless in specialized positions like veterinary research or teaching roles at Iowa State University, where wages tend to be higher.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored animal care & pet services jobs in Iowa?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.
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