Most people like animals. But, as pet owners can attest, it is hard work taking care of them. Animal caretakers, sometimes called animal attendants, feed, water, groom, bathe, and exercise animals and clean and repair their cages. They also play with the animals, provide companionship, and observe behavioral changes that could indicate illness or injury.
Kennels, animal shelters, pet stores, stables, veterinary facilities, laboratories, and zoological parks all house animals and employ caretakers. Job titles and duties vary by employment setting.
Kennel staff usually care for small companion animals like dogs and cats. Beginning attendants perform basic tasks, such as cleaning cages and dog runs. Experienced attendants may give basic treatment and first aid, bathe and groom animals and clean their ears and teeth. People who specialize in maintaining dogs' appearance are called dog groomers. Some groomers work in kennels and others operate their own grooming business. Caretakers also sell pet food and supplies, teach obedience classes, help with breeding, or prepare animals for shipping.
In addition to providing the basic maintenance of the animals, caretakers in animal shelters screen applicants for animal adoption, vaccinate newly admitted animals, and euthanize (put to death) seriously ill, severely injured, or unwanted animals.
Pet store caretakers provide basic care, sell pet supplies, and give advice to customers.
Workers in stables saddle and unsaddle horses, give them rubdowns, and walk them through a cool-off after a ride. They also feed and groom the horses, muck out stalls, polish saddles, clean and organize the tack room, and store supplies and feed. Experienced staff also train horses.
Veterinary hospitals employ three types of caretakers: Veterinary technician, veterinary assistant, and animal attendant. Veterinary technicians, also known as animal health technicians, are the most skilled. They keep records, take specimens, perform laboratory tests, prepare animals and instruments for surgery, take and develop radiographs, dress wounds, and assist veterinarians with examinations and surgery. However, they do not diagnose ailments, prescribe medication, or perform surgery.
Veterinary assistants feed and bathe animals, administer medication as prescribed by a veterinarian, and help veterinarians and the veterinary technicians treat animals. For example, the assistant may hold the animal while the technician gives it an injection.
Animal attendants clean cages, exercise animals, and monitor the animals for symptoms of illnesses. This is the most basic job and is frequently performed by part-time workers.
Laboratories also have three levels of animal caretakers: Laboratory animal technologist, laboratory animal technician, and assistant laboratory animal technician. The highest level, laboratory animal technologist, supervises the daily care and maintenance of the animals by the technician and assistant; they may also assist in surgical care and other laboratory procedures. The laboratory animal technician provides the daily care of the animals giving prescribed medications, taking specimens, performing laboratory tests, and assisting with minor surgery. Technicians also keep daily records of the animals' diets, behavior, and health. Assistant laboratory animal technicians clean cages and feed animals.
Zookeepers prepare the diets, clean the enclosures, and monitor the behavior of exotic animals. Keepers sometimes assist in research studies on their wards. Depending upon the species, the keepers may also train the animals. An example is the elephant keeper who teaches the pachyderm to hold up its foot so that the veterinarian may examine the sole. In addition, keepers may put on shows and give lectures to the public.
Kennel staff usually care for small companion animals.
People who love animals get satisfaction from working with and helping animals. However, some of the work may be physically demanding and unpleasant. Caretakers have to clean animal cages and lift heavy supplies like bales of hay. Also, the work setting is often noisy. Some duties like euthanizing a hopelessly injured or aged animal may be emotionally stressful.
Animal caretakers can be exposed to bites, kicks, and disease from the animals they attend. Caretakers may work outdoors in all kinds of weather. Hours are irregular. Animals have to be fed every day, so caretakers rotate week-end shifts. In some animal hospitals and animal shelters an attendant is on duty 24 hours a day, which means night shifts. Most full-time caretakers work about 40 bours a week, some work 50 hours a week or more. Caretakers of show and sports animals travel to competitions.
Animal caretakers held about 103,000 jobs in 1992. Most were employed in veterinary facilities and boarding kennels. Other employers were animal shelters, stables, pet stores, grooming shops, zoological parks, and local, State, and Federal agencies. One out of every 6 caretakers is self-employed. More than a third work part time.
Most animal caretakers working in kennels, pet stores, animal shelters, and stables are trained on the job. There are few formal training programs, but the American Boarding Kennel Association offers a home-study program for kennel technicians. Some States require certification of caretakers who euthanize animals. Training may be through a veterinarian or a State Humane Society. Otherwise, there are no formal training requirements in these settings; nonetheless, many employers look for people with some experience with animals. Caretakers start by cleaning cages and advance to giving medication and grooming. Most dog groomers learn their trade through on-the-job training, but a few grooming schools do exist.
Dog groomers may receive professional registration or certification from the National Dog Groomers Association of America. The American Boarding Kennels Association accredits kennels and offers a Certified Kennel Operator program, both of which show professional competency.
Forty-two States require veterinary technicians to be licensed; this is the only animal caretaker position requiring licensure. Licensure requirements in most States include graduation from an accredited animal technology program. In 1992, there were 63 associate programs and 5 bachelor's degree programs accredited by the American Veterinary Medicine Association. Courses include animal pharmacology, veterinary physiology and anatomy, animal care and management, radiography, anesthetic nursing and monitoring, parasitology, animal husbandry, chemistry, biology, applied mathematics, communications, and the humanities. In States without education requirements for veterinary technicians, veterinarians may employ applicants with a strong science background and train them on the job; however, most veterinarians prefer graduates of formal academic programs.
There are no formal education requirements for animal attendants and veterinary assistants in veterinary facilities. They are trained on the job.
The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALS) tests and certifies three levels of caretakers technologists, technicians, and assistants. To be eligible to take the certification examination, laboratory animal technologists must have 6 years of training, 4 years of which may be college-level courses in the life sciences and at least 2 years of laboratory experience. Laboratory animal technicians need 3 years of experience in a laboratory. They may substitute 2 years of education in college-level life sciences for 2 years of experience. Laboratory animal assistants must have 1 year of work experience or 6 months of experience and 6 months of college-level life science education.
Large zoological parks may require their keepers to have a bachelor's degree in biology, animal science, or a related field. They also require experience with animals, preferably as a volunteer in a zoo or as a paid keeper in a smaller zoo.
Advancement varies with employment setting. Kennel caretakers may be promoted to kennel supervisor, assistant manager, and manager. Caretakers with enough capital may open up their own kennels. Pet store caretakers may become store managers. In laboratories, assistant laboratory animal technicians may advance to laboratory animal technician, then to technologist; however, the technologist position requires a college-level background in the life sciences. Caretakers in animal shelters may become a humane agent, animal control officer, assistant shelter manager, or shelter director. The Humane Society of the United States offers a 2-week course for animal shelter and control personnel.
Employment of animal caretakers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2005 as the population and economy expand. The number of dogs and cats has increased significantly over the last 10 years, and is expected to continue to increase.
Despite growth in demand for animal caretakers, the overwhelming majority of jobs will result from the need to replace workers leaving the field. Many animal caretaker jobs that require little or no training have work schedules which tend to be flexible; therefore, it is an ideal first job for people entering the labor force as well as for students and others looking for temporary or part-time work. Because these workers have a weak attachment to the occupation, turnover is quite high and the overall availability of jobs should be very good. Much of the work of these animal caretakers is seasonal, particularly during vacation periods.
The best prospects should be for graduates of training programs in veterinary technology. Many employers complain of a shortage of formally trained veterinary technicians. Job opportunities for certified laboratory animal technicians and technologists are also good. As concern for animal welfare increases, so will the need for certified personnel in laboratories. The outlook for zookeepers is not so favorable. Jobseekers will face keen competition because of expected slow growth in zoo capacity, low turnover, and the fact that the occupation attracts many candidates.
Additional opportunities will occur in kennels as owners increasingly focus on the business aspects of the kennel and hire managers to operate the animal care department.
In 1992, median weekly earnings for animal caretakers who usually worked full time were about $250, according to limited data. Generally, veterinary technicians, laboratory animal technologists, and zookeepers earn more than other animal caretakers.
Related Occupation
Other occupations working with animals include agricultural and biological scientists, veterinarians, retail sales workers in pet stores, gamekeepers, game-farm helpers, poultry breeders, ranchers, and artificial-breeding technician.
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Reprinted with Permission of U. S. Department of Labor