Nonfarm Animal Caretakers

Description

Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise care for pets and other nonfarm animals, such as dogs, cats, ornamental fish or birds, zoo animals, and mice. Work in settings such as kennels, animal shelters, zoos, circuses, and aquariums. May keep records of feedings, treatments, and animals received or discharged. May clean, disinfect, and repair cages, pens, or fish tanks.

Tasks

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

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge 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.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills

Active Listening: Giving 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.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Problem Sensitivity: The 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 Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering: The 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).

Work Activities

Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Performing General Physical Activities: Performing 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.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Work Context

Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Frequency of Decision Making: How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results: How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls: How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings: How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
Deal With External Customers: How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

Interests

Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Work Style

Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Self Control: Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Work Values

Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Related Occupations

Agricultural Technicians

Animal Breeders

Log Graders and Scalers

Lay Titles

Animal Care Giver (ACG)

Animal Care Service Worker

Animal Care Taker

Animal Care Technician

Animal Caregiver

Animal Caretaker

Animal Control Officer

Animal Daycare Provider

Animal Feeder

Animal Groomer

Animal Handler

Animal Keeper

Animal Laboratory Helper

Animal Nursery Worker

Animal Shelter Worker

Aquarist

Aquarium Tank Attendant

Bird Tender

Care Taker

Caretaker

Cat and Dog Bather

Cat, Dog, or Other Pet Groomer

Dog Barber

Dog Bather

Dog Beautician

Dog Boarder

Dog Groomer

Dog Hair Clipper

Dog or Animal Sitter

Dog Pound Attendant

Farrier

Groomer

Horse Exerciser

Horse Groomer

Horse Rider

Horse Shoer

Horseshoer

Hostler

Hot Walker

Keeper

Kennel Aide

Kennel Assistant

Kennel Attendant

Kennel Helper

Kennel Keeper

Kennel Manager

Kennel Operator

Kennel Supervisor

Kennel Technician

Kennel Worker

Lead Pony Rider

Mice Raiser

Monkey Keeper

Pet Adoption Counselor

Pet Care Worker

Pet Caretaker

Pet Feeder

Pet Groomer

Pet Sitter

Pet Stylist

Plater

Pound Attendant

Pound Keeper

Poundmaster

Reptile Keeper

Ringman

Stable Attendant

Stable Cleaner

Stable Hand

Stable Helper

Stock Feeder

Veterinary Technician

Wild Animal Caretaker

Wildlife Rehabilitator

Zoo Caretaker

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $9.46 hourly, $19,690 annual.

Employment (2008):: 150,140 employees