Animal Caretakers Occupation Details

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Animal Caretakers

The main tasks and work activities of Animal Caretakers are to care for animals, perform administrative or clerical tasks, schedule appointments, monitor health or behavior of people or animals. In general, for the Animal Caretakers, monitoring, judgment and Decision Making, service Orientation, coordination and other 3 skills are required.

Animal Caretakers Job Description
Education	These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related Experience	Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job Training	Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Example	These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.

The following chart shows the education/training levels for Animal Caretakers jobs. 63.55% of Animal Caretakers have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 13.37% of Animal Caretakers have Bachelor's Degree and Above.

Less than a High School Diploma

9.50%

High School Diploma (or the equivalent)

63.55%

Post-Secondary Certificate

0.00%

Some College Courses

0.00%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

13.58%

Bachelor's Degree and Above

13.37%

Tasks and Work Activities of Animal Caretakers

Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
Answer telephones and schedule appointments.
Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.
Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.
Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.
Order, unload, and store feed and supplies.
Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species.
Clean and disinfect surgical equipment.
Discuss with clients their pets' grooming needs.
Observe and caution children petting and feeding animals in designated areas to ensure the safety of humans and animals.
Find homes for stray or unwanted animals.
Adjust controls to regulate specified temperature and humidity of animal quarters, nurseries, or exhibit areas.
Anesthetize and inoculate animals, according to instructions.
Transfer animals between enclosures to facilitate breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits.
Install, maintain, and repair animal care facility equipment, such as infrared lights, feeding devices, and cages.
Train animals to perform certain tasks.
Sell pet food and supplies.

Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Performing General Physical ActivitiesPerforming physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Handling and Moving ObjectsUsing hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Care for animals.
Perform administrative or clerical tasks.
Schedule appointments.
Monitor health or behavior of people or animals.
Respond to customer inquiries.
Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
Document client health or progress.
Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
Maintain supply or equipment inventories.
Prepare foods or meals.
Clean tools or equipment.
Discuss service options or needs with clients.
Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
Monitor patron activities to identify problems or potential problems.
Maintain facilities.
Train animals.
Sell products or services.
Perform housekeeping duties.
Clean facilities or work areas.
Provide health and wellness advice to patients, program participants, or caregivers.

Skills and Abilities for Animal Caretakers

MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Static StrengthThe ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Trunk StrengthThe ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Respiratorse.g. Air purifying respirators
Cleaning scraperse.g. Algae scrapers
Water testing and sampling kitse.g. Ammonia test kits
Cages or its accessoriese.g. Animal cages
Electric hair clippere.g. Animal clippers
Kennelse.g. Animal crates
Protective glovese.g. Animal handling gloves
Safety sleevese.g. Animal handling sleeves
Harnesses or its accessoriese.g. Animal harnesses
Muzzlese.g. Animal muzzles
Veterinary nail trimmers or cutterse.g. Animal nail clippers
Veterinary nail trimmers or cutterse.g. Animal nail files
Veterinary nail trimmers or cutterse.g. Animal nail grinders
Water filterse.g. Aquarium filters
Immersion heaterse.g. Aquarium heaters
Underwater lightinge.g. Aquarium lighting
Water pumpse.g. Aquarium pumps
Tongse.g. Aquarium tongs
Laboratory ultraviolet UV sterilizerse.g. Aquarium ultraviolet UV sterilizers
Electronic toploading balancese.g. Benchtop electronic toploading balances

Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
ClericalKnowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Animal Caretakers Occupation Detailed Description

Tasks and Work Activities of Animal Caretakers

Skills and Abilities for Animal Caretakers