Pet Spa Therapist
Virtue Vets | London (Chelsea Boltons / Marylebone / South Kensington / Notting Hill)
Full-time | On-site
About Virtue Vets
Virtue Vets is a modern, design-led veterinary group with four clinics across central London. Our spaces are deliberately spa-like — calm, beautifully finished, and meticulously maintained — because we believe a visit to the vet should feel restorative, not clinical. We’ve launched a dedicated wellness service that brings grooming, physiotherapy, and a range of non-invasive therapies — including red light therapy, PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field therapy), laser, heat therapy, massage, aromatherapy and sound therapy — together under one roof. We’re looking for a Pet Spa Therapist to help us deliver it beautifully.
The Role
This is more than grooming. As our Pet Spa Therapist, you’ll be the lead hands behind our 60-minute Spa Sessions — bespoke wellness experiences where owners select a combination of treatments tailored to their pet. You’ll move fluidly between the more familiar (coat, eyes and ears, pawdicure, teeth brushing) and the therapeutic (red light, PEMF, laser, heat, massage, aromatherapy, sound therapy), curating a calm and considered hour for every patient.
You’ll work as part of a multidisciplinary wellness team alongside our physiotherapists, veterinary surgeons, and nurses — collaborating on patients who benefit from a joined-up approach (post-op recovery, mobility cases, dermatology cases, senior pets), with the back-up of clinical oversight when you spot something that needs a closer look (skin issues, ear infections, lumps, dental concerns).
What You’ll Do
- Run our 60-minute Spa Sessions end-to-end — welcoming the pet, building the session around the selected treatments, and delivering a calm, polished experience from start to finish
- Bathing & coat care — bespoke shampoo and conditioning treatments tailored to coat type, skin condition, and breed
- Drying, brushing & de-shedding — including hand-stripping and de-matting where appropriate
- Trims & tidies — face, feet, sanitary trims, and full breed-standard grooms (depending on experience)
- Pawdicure — nail clipping, pad trims, and paw balm application
- Coat, eyes & ears — gentle cleaning, tear-stain removal, ear cleaning and plucking where indicated
- Teeth brushing & oral care as part of our spa add-ons
- Anal gland checks & expression (where trained — we’ll support upskilling)
- Non-invasive wellness therapies — full training provided in red light therapy, PEMF, laser, heat therapy, massage, aromatherapy, and sound therapy
- Liaising with the vet team — flagging clinical concerns, securing veterinary approval for treatments that require it (e.g. PEMF and laser), and referring into physiotherapy where appropriate
- Maintaining the spa standard — keeping treatment areas, equipment, and presentation immaculate at all times
- Client experience — talking owners through the session, recommending follow-up treatments, and advising on at-home aftercare
Who You Are
- Experienced in professional dog and/or cat grooming, or a qualified Pet Care Therapist / City & Guilds Level 2 or 3 in Dog Grooming (or equivalent). Preferred but not required. VCA/CCA experience is also suitable
- Confident handling a wide range of breeds, sizes, and temperaments
- Calm, patient, and genuinely fond of animals — including the wriggly, the nervous, and the opinionated
- Comfortable working alongside a clinical team and following welfare-first protocols
- Detail-oriented — you notice the matted bit behind the ear, the slightly inflamed paw pad, the nail that needs a second pass
- Curious about complementary and rehabilitative therapies — open to learning new modalities and integrating them into your work
- Client-facing polish — you can talk owners through aftercare and recommend products with warmth and clarity
Nice to Have
- Experience with hand-stripping, scissor finishing, or breed-specific styling
- Previous work in a veterinary or referral setting
- Familiarity with low-stress / Fear Free handling principles
- Prior exposure to red light therapy, PEMF, laser, or massage in a veterinary or canine context
- Retail or upselling experience (shampoos, supplements, dental kits)
What We Offer
- Competitive salary, reviewed annually
- Beautifully finished, spa-like clinical spaces maintained to a high standard
- Work as part of a multidisciplinary wellness team — grooming, physiotherapy, and veterinary care under one roof
- Genuine career development — funded training in red light therapy, PEMF, laser, advanced grooming, low-stress handling, or veterinary nursing pathways if of interest
- Generous staff discount on veterinary services and retail
- A team that takes pride in the craft and the care
- Pension, paid holiday, and uniform provided
To apply: Please send your CV and a short note (or a few photos of your work) to [email protected].
We review applications on a rolling basis.
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
Work Location: In person
