Animal Care Career Highlights

• Animal lovers usually find the greatest satisfaction in this occupation, although the work can sometimes be unpleasant, physically and emotionally demanding, and even dangerous.
• Many animal care workers are trained on the job, but generally employers prefer to hire people who have some experience with animals through training and certification programs; some employers require a bachelor’s degree in biology, animal science, or a related field.
• Good employment prospects are expected for most positions; however, expect stiff competition for zookeeper jobs. Earnings can be relatively low, depending on the career path.

Although many people like animals, taking care of them is hard work. Animal care and service workers include animal caretakers and animal trainers, who usually train, feed, water, groom, and exercise animals. They clean, and repair their pens and cages, as well. They may also play with the animals, and watch for behavioral changes that may indicate illness or injury. Stables, animal race tracks, boarding kennels, animal shelters, veterinary hospitals and clinics, laboratories, aquariums, and zoological parks, all must employ workers to care for the animals. Duties, job titles and earnings vary by employment setting.

Animal Care workers employed in kennels are called Kennel attendants.  Kennels thouse pets while their owners are at work or out of town. Novice attendants perform basic tasks; they clean cages and dog runs, fill food and water dishes, and exercise animals. More experienced workers may provide some basic animal healthcare, as well as groom the animals. Attendants working in kennels also may sell pet food and supplies, assist in obedience training, help with breeding, or prepare animals for shipping.

Animal caregivers who specialize in grooming or maintaining a pet’s—usually a dog’s or cat’s—appearance are called groomers. Groomers work in a variety of settings including kennels, veterinary clinics, animal shelters, grooming salons, and pet-supply stores. Many operate their own grooming business, some making house calls. Mobile groooming services are growing rapidly as it is less stressful for the pet, offers convenience for pet owners and flexible hours for groomers. Groomers answer phones, schedule appointments, discuss pets’ grooming needs with clients, and collect information on the pet’s disposition and its veterinarian. Many times groomers are the first to notice a medical problem, such as an ear or skin infection, that requires veterinary care.

Animal caretakers in animal shelters carry out a variety of duties and work many different types of animals. They take care of the basic needs of the animals.  They may also keep records of the animals received and discharged and any tests or treatments done. Some animal caretakers vaccinate newly admitted animals under the direction of a veterinarian or veterinary technician, and euthanize (painlessly put to death) seriously ill, severely injured, or unwanted animals. At animal shelters caretakers also interact with the public, answering telephone inquiries, screening applicants for animal adoption, or educating visitors on neutering and other animal health issues.

Caretakers in horse stables are called grooms.  Grooms saddle and unsaddle horses, give them rubdowns, and walk them to cool them off after a ride. They also feed, groom, and exercise the horses in their care; clean out stalls and replenish bedding; clean saddles; organize the harness, saddle, and bridles kept in the tack room. Experienced grooms may also help train horses.

In zoos, animal care and service workers are called keepers. They prepare the food and clean the enclosures of animals, and sometimes assist in raising them when they are very young. Zookeepers watch for any signs of illness or injury, monitor and record eating patterns or any changes in behavior. Keepers also may answer questions and ensure that zoo visitors behave responsibly toward the exhibited animals. Depending on the zoo, keepers may be assigned to work with a broad collection of animals such as mammals, birds, or reptiles, or they may work with a limited group of animals such as primates, large cats, or small mammals.

Animal trainers train animals for riding, security, performance, obedience, or assisting persons with disabilities. They do this by accustoming the animal to human voice and contact, and conditioning the animal to respond to commands. Trainers use many techniques to help them train animals. One technique, called a bridge, is a stimulus that a trainer uses to communicate the precise moment an animal does something correctly. When the animal responds correctly, the trainer gives positive reinforcement in a variety of ways: food, toys, play, rubdowns, or just by speaking the word "good." Animal training is time consuming. It takes place in small steps, and often takes months and even years of repetition. In addition to their hands-on work with the animals, trainers often oversee other aspects of the animal’s care, such as diet preparation, and may work in competitions or shows, such as the circus or marine parks. In addition, trainers who work in shows may participate in educational programs for visitors and guests.

People who love animals often like working with and helping them. However, some of the work is often unpleasant, physically and emotionally demanding, and at times even dangerous. Most animal care and service workers must clean animal cages and lift, hold, or restrain animals, risking exposure to bites or scratches. Very often their work is physically demanding, as they must sometimes kneel, crawl, repeatedly bend, and lift heavy supplies. The work setting may be noisy. Caretakers of show or sports animals often must travel to competitions. Animal care and service workers may experience emotional distress when they witness abused animals or assist in the euthanizing of unwanted, aged, or hopelessly injured animals.

Animal care and service workers often must work outdoors regardless of weather conditions. Hours are irregular; animals must be fed every day, so caretakers often work weekend and holiday shifts. In some animal hospitals, research facilities, and animal shelters, an attendant must be on duty 24 hours a day, which means night shifts.

Many animal care and service workers are trained on the job; however, employers usually prefer to hire people who have some experience with animals. Animal trainers often are required to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent; some animal training jobs may require a bachelor’s degree and additional skills. For example, a marine mammal trainer usually must have a bachelor’s degree in biology, marine biology, animal science, psychology, zoology, or related field, plus strong swimming skills and SCUBA certification. All animal trainers should possess patience, sensitivity, and experience with problem-solving and animal obedience. While certification is not mandatory for animal trainers, several organizations offer training programs and certification for prospective animal trainers.

Pet groomers often learn their trade by completing an informal apprenticeship, usually lasting 6 to 10 weeks, under the supervision of a groomer with experience in the industry. Those who wish to be groomers may attend a grooming program  available in many areas of the country and even through the Internet; programs vary in length from 2 to 18 weeks. The National Dog Groomers Association of America offers certification for master status as a groomer. Certification focuses on four areas—non-sporting, sporting, terrier, and masters. The required examination consists of 400 questions with a separate part testing practical skills. Novice groomers often start by taking on one duty, such as bathing and drying the pet, and eventually assume responsibility for the entire grooming process, from the initial brush-out to the final clipping. Those groomers working in large retail establishments or kennels may, with experience, may move into supervisory or managerial positions. Experienced groomers sometimes choose to open their own grooming salons.

Entry-level animal caretakers in kennels learn on the job, and usually start by cleaning cages and feeding and watering animals. Career paths for kennel caretakers may be to kennel supervisor, assistant manager, and manager, and those with enough capital and experience may open up their own kennels.

Some zoos require their caretakers to have a bachelor’s degree in biology, animal science, or a related field. Additionally, most require experience with animals, preferably as a volunteer or paid keeper in a zoo. The career path for zookeepers may be to advance to senior keeper, assistant head keeper, head keeper, and assistant curator; however very few openings occur, especially for the higher level positions.

Animal caretakers in animal shelters are not usually required to have any specialized training, but training programs and workshops are increasingly available through the Humane Society of the United States, the American Humane Association, and the National Animal Control Association. Workshop topics often include cruelty investigations, appropriate methods of euthanasia for shelter animals, proper guidelines for capturing animals techniques for preventing problems with wildlife, and dealing effectively with the general public. Since shelter workers often deal with individuals who must abandon their pets, excellent communication skills, including the ability to handle emotional people, is vital. With experience and additional training, the career path for caretakers in animal shelters may be to move up to adoption coordinators, animal control officers, emergency rescue drivers, assistant shelter managers, or shelter directors.

In 2004, animal care and service workers held 172,000 jobs, with almost 3 out of 4 working as nonfarm animal caretakers. The remainder worked as animal trainers. The nonfarm workers were employed primarily in boarding kennels, animal shelters, stables, grooming shops, animal hospitals, and veterinary offices. Many also were employed by  racing tracks and stables, humane societies, circuses,  zoos, and other amusement and recreational facilities. In 2004, almost 1 out of every 3 nonfarm animal caretakers was self-employed.

Animal trainers were most frequently employed in animal services specializing in training pets, and horses; and at commercial venues, where they train racehorses and dogs. Nearly 60 percent of animal trainers were self-employed.

Good job prospects are expected for most positions because many workers leave this occupation each year. The need to replace workers leaving the field creates the overwhelming majority of job openings. Animal caretaker jobs require little or no training and have flexible work schedules, attracting people seeking their first job, students, and others looking for temporary or part-time work, including retired people. The outlook for caretakers in zoos, though, is not favorable at this time due to slow growth in zoo capacity and heavy competition for the few positions. Job opportunities for animal care and service workers varies from year to year, because the strength of the economy usually affects demand for these workers, since pet owners tend to spend more on animal services when the economy is strong.

In addition to replacement of workers leaving the profession, employment of animal care and service workers is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014. The companion pet population—which influences employment of animal caretakers in kennels, grooming shops, animal shelters, and veterinary clinics and hospitals—is expected to increase. Pet owners—including a large number of baby boomers, whose disposable income is expected to rise as they age—are anticipated to increasingly take advantage of grooming services, daily and overnight boarding services, training services, and veterinary services, resulting in more jobs for animal care and service workers. Many pet owners increasingly consider their pet as part of the family, so their demand for luxury animal services and willingness to spend greater amounts of money on their pet will continue to grow.

Demand for animal care and service workers in animal shelters is predicted to remain steady. Employment growth of personal and group animal trainers will arise from an increased number of animal owners seeking training services for their pets, including behavior modification and feline behavior training. Job openings as shelter workers will continue to be influenced by high turnover since the work is extremely demanding and stressful.

Earnings vary depending on the work to be performed. Median hourly earnings of animal trainers were $10.60 in May 2004; the middle 50 percent earned between $8.10 and $15.23; and the top 10 percent earned more than $20.62.

For more information on jobs in animal caretaking and control, and the animal shelter and control officer training program, contact:

For additional career information and news about training, certification, and earnings of animal control officers at Federal, State, and local levels, contact:

For information on training to become an advanced pet care technician at a kennel, contact:

American Boarding Kennels Association, 1702 East Pikes Peak Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80909.

For a directory of Animal Care career training programs, go to:

eLearningYellowPages.com - Animal Care Career Training

 

 

 

*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

 

 

 

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