Non-Farm Animal Caretaker
Other Titles
Aquarist, Dog Bather, Dog Groomer, Groomer, Kennel Attendant, Kennel Technician (Kennel Tech), Pet Groomer, Pet Stylist, Zookeeper
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, research laboratories, 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.
Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species.
Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles.
Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.
Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.
Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.
Answer telephones and schedule appointments.
Advise pet owners on how to care for their pets' health.
Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
Observe and caution children petting and feeding animals in designated areas to ensure the safety of humans and animals.
Clean and disinfect surgical equipment.
Find homes for stray or unwanted animals.
Discuss with clients their pets' grooming needs.
Transfer animals between enclosures to facilitate breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits.
Adjust controls to regulate specified temperature and humidity of animal quarters, nurseries, or exhibit areas.
Anesthetize and inoculate animals, according to instructions.
Install, maintain, and repair animal care facility equipment, such as infrared lights, feeding devices, and cages.
Train animals to perform certain tasks.
Order, unload, and store feed and supplies.
Monitoring→ Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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.
Coordination→ Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making→ Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension→ Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Service Orientation→ Actively looking for ways to help people.
Getting Information→ Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates→ Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
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.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events→ Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Handling and Moving Objects→ Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings→ Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems→ Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Documenting/Recording Information→ Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work→ Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships→ Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material→ Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Processing Information→ Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge→ Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public→ Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Thinking Creatively→ Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Assisting and Caring for Others→ Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization→ Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others→ Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People→ Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards→ Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Training and Teaching Others→ Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Care for animals.
Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
Monitor health or behavior of people or animals.
Prepare foods or meals.
Maintain facilities.
Clean facilities or work areas.
Perform housekeeping duties.
Document client health or progress.
Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
Monitor patron activities to identify problems or potential problems.
Clean tools or equipment.
Respond to customer inquiries.
Perform administrative or clerical tasks.
Schedule appointments.
Confer with clients to discuss treatment plans or progress.
Provide care for animals.
Provide health and wellness advice to patients, program participants, or caregivers.
Discuss service options or needs with clients.
Train animals.
Maintain supply or equipment inventories.
Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
Sell products or services.
Oral Comprehension→ The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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).
Near Vision→ The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Expression→ The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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.
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).
Speech Clarity→ The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition→ The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Trunk Strength→ The 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.
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.
Clerical→ Knowledge 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.
Language→ Knowledge of the structure and content of a language - English, French, Swahili et cetera - including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Calendar and scheduling software -- Appointment software
Database user interface and query software -- Data entry software; Microsoft Access
Electronic mail software -- e.g., Zoho Mail; Gmail; Microsoft Outlook
Office suite software -- e.g., Corel WordPerfect Office; Microsoft Office; Google Workspace; Apache OpenOffice.org
Presentation software -- e.g., Google Slides; Apple iWork Keynote; Corel Presentations; Microsoft PowerPoint
Spreadsheet software -- e.g., Corel Quattro Pro; Microsoft Excel; Google Sheets
Word processing software -- e.g., Corel Wordperfect; Microsoft Word; Google Docs
Aquariums→ Fish tanks
Articulating boom lift→ Hydraulic bucket lifts
Binocular light compound microscopes
Cages or its accessories→ Animal cages
Cleaning scrapers→ Algae scrapers
Compressed air gun→ Spear guns
Dissolved oxygen meters→ Portable dissolved oxygen DO meters
Diving instruments or accessories→ Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus SCUBA gear
Domestic hair dryers→ Blow dryers
Dosing droppers→ Eye droppers
Electric hair clipper→ Animal clippers; Cordless animal trimmers
Electronic toploading balances→ Benchtop electronic toploading balances
Forklifts→ Wheeled forklifts
Handheld refractometers or polarimeters→ Handheld digital refractometers
Harnesses or its accessories→ Animal harnesses
Immersion heaters→ Aquarium heaters
Inflatable rubber boat→ Inflatable rubber motor boats
Kennels→ Animal crates
Laboratory ultraviolet UV sterilizers→ Aquarium ultraviolet UV sterilizers
Ladders→ Stepladders
Muzzles→ Animal muzzles
Oxidation reduction tester→ Digital oxidation reduction potential ORP meters
Personal computers
Pet grooming products→ Coat strippers; Grooming combs; Grooming rakes; Grooming tables; Mat breakers; Pet bathing brushes; Pin brushes; Shedding blades; Slicker brushes
pH meters→ pH testers
Pressure or steam cleaners→ Pressure sprayers
Protective gloves→ Animal handling gloves
Respirators→ Air purifying respirators
Safety sleeves→ Animal handling sleeves
Scaffolding
Scissor lift or lift table→ Scissor lifts
Shears→ Grooming shears
Slings
Special hoses→ Siphon hoses
Tongs→ Aquarium tongs
Underwater cameras
Underwater lighting→ Aquarium lighting
Veterinary nail trimmers or cutters→ Animal nail clippers; Animal nail files; Animal nail grinders
Water filters→ Aquarium filters
Water pumps→ Aquarium pumps
Water purification equipment→ Protein skimmers
Water testing and sampling kits→ Ammonia test kits; Carbonate hardness test kits; General hardness GH test kits; Nitrate test kits; Nitrite test kits; pH test kits
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.
Integrity→ Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability→ Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Self Control→ Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Attention to Detail→ Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
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.
Adaptability/Flexibility→ Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Concern for Others→ Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
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.
Initiative→ Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Persistence→ Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Achievement/Effort→ Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Analytical Thinking→ Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Leadership→ Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Social Orientation→ Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Innovation→ Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
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.