Animal caretaker (Dierenverzorger)
Information on this skill...
Animal caretaker is a general name for people who are responsible for caring for animals. As a animal caretaker you may have to deal with companion animals, livestock or wild animals. To begin with, a animal caretaker must care a lot about animals in order to be able to practice this profession in a good way. Animals are not people and cannot indicate by talking exactly what they want. It is therefore so important that a animal caretaker can estimate this himself, in order to be able to take care of animals in the right way. As a animal caretaker you can work in many different places, such as in a zoo, riding school, animal shelter, petting zoo or start as a self-employed person with an animal boarding house. In short, we can best describe the work of a animal caretaker as the daily care of animals that are kept in a enclosure, such as at a petting zoo or in a zoo. A animal caretaker is responsible for the welfare of animals and the care of animals. The activities that a animal caretaker has to deal with include changing the enclosures, feeding animals, assisting other specialists such as the veterinarian and monitoring the behavior of animals in order to be able to identify possible problems at an early stage. To be able to work as a animal caretaker in the Netherlands, you need a four-year course at MBO level, during which you will also do an internship. A choice will also have to be made during the training in terms of specialization. With training as animal care, the career opportunities as a animal caretaker are fairly good. It is true that quite a lot of animal caretakers prefer to work in a zoo. Getting a job in a zoo is generally not very easy. Where exactly a animal caretaker will work also depends on the chosen specialization.
A animal caretaker can therefore work with different animals and can work for different employers. Think, for example, of a animal caretaker who works within an animal boarding house, or of a animal caretaker who works for a horse breeder. In addition, there may be more specific names, such as the name dolphin trainer, animal sitter or animal trainer. The substantive work of a animal caretaker is generally highly dependent on the level of education. For example, taking care of cats and guinea pigs cannot simply be compared to training dolphins or taking care of wild animals within a zoo. Proper training is also important for the breeding of companion animals, because breeders have to deal with strict rules. In a general sense, a animal caretaker must have sufficient knowledge of care, feeding, handling, monitoring and hygiene. Maintaining the living environment of animals in the right way is also important. Think in particular of cleaning the animal pens and / or stables in the right way.
WORKING AS A ANIMAL CARETAKER
Working as a animal caretaker is not only fun, it's also tough at times. Cleaning the pens and feeding the animals can be tough. A animal caretaker must also be able to cope if an animal becomes ill or perhaps dies. Especially in animals that have been cared for for a long time, this can often be heavy. The activities of a animal caretaker can differ per farm. In a shelter you are more responsible for taking care of the animals and in a pet store more for advising people about their animals and nutrition. A animal caretaker who works in a zoo is often very specialized in certain animals. In a zoo, very different things play a role than with ordinary pets, such as the natural environment and keeping the animals wild, such as tigers. The safety measures are also very strict. At a riding school, on the other hand, many people come to practice their sport. Here it may be that the animal caretaker has to prepare the horses for the group lesson. Working in an animal boarding house is also very different as a animal caretaker, because the animals within an animal boarding house almost all only stay for a few weeks when their owners are on holiday. In that case, as a animal caretaker, you will also have to take into account the personal wishes of animal owners. For example, it may be that the owners bring their own food for the animals, because otherwise they can get upset.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN Animal caretaker AND ANIMAL ASSISTANT
The main difference between a animal caretaker and animal assistant is the responsibilities. A animal caretaker is only responsible for caring for animals, advising on nutrition and possibly providing first aid to animals. An animal assistant should be seen more as the right hand of the veterinarian. Another name for animal assistant can also be animal assistant paraveterinary. An animal assistant has the authority to independently carry out certain medical veterinary treatments. This may only be done by qualified animal assistants, who are also registered with the government. An animal assistant may only perform certain minor medical procedures. In practice, it will happen that an animal assistant is also responsible for more general work. Think, for example, of general desk work within a veterinary practice.
WHAT DOES A ANIMAL CARETAKER DO:
- Preparing and distributing feed
- Training animals (playing with animals)
- Scheduling appointments
- Monitoring animals
- Compliance with legal regulations
- Cleaning and disinfecting animal enclosures
- Moving animals (different enclosures)
- Drawing up and maintaining the feeding lists
- Performing general care tasks
WHAT DOES A ANIMAL CARETAKER DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME A ANIMAL CARETAKER
In order to be able to work as a animal caretaker, it is best to follow the training animal caretaker at MBO level. Training to become a animal caretaker generally takes two to three years. During the training you will learn everything that has to do with animal care, such as feeding animals and picking up signals such as possible diseases. In addition, you will also learn to take care of the working or living environment of animals. The reproduction of animals will also be discussed during the training. There are several possible directions when it comes to animal caretaker. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE A ANIMAL CARETAKER CAN BE EMPLOYED
A animal caretaker can work for different companies. Think, for example, of an animal boarding house, dog kennel, riding school, animal shelter or a zoo. In addition, as a animal caretaker you can work in a veterinary clinic to support the veterinarian in his daily work. A animal caretaker can also work within large garden centres. Another possibility is to work for a large livestock farmer. It is also conceivable that a animal caretaker can be regarded as an entrepreneur. This is generally highly dependent on the specific work. In some cases, a animal caretaker can be considered a volunteer.
COMPETENCES ANIMAL CARETAKER
The most important competence of a animal caretaker is the general professional knowledge of animal care. In addition, a animal caretaker must have a lot of passion and motivation, because otherwise you cannot work in a good way as a animal caretaker. Also, routine work as a animal caretaker should not be a problem. Because as a animal caretaker you will in most cases work together with different colleagues and animal owners, you must have good communication skills. Generally important words are checking, vigilance, inspecting, consulting, energy, flexibility, decisiveness, courage, advice and stress resistance.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A ANIMAL CARETAKER
As a animal caretaker with a completed education, there is usually enough work to be found. However, finding work in a zoo is difficult due to the large selection. In order to grow as a animal caretaker, additional training will be necessary, such as the MBO training animal caretaker recreational animals or the MBO training veterinary assistant paraveterinary. With these courses, as a animal caretaker you can also perform small actions independently, such as giving injections or taking blood.
WORKING CONDITIONS AND SALARY ANIMAL CARETAKER
The employment conditions as a animal caretaker are difficult to indicate because they will be too different per employer. Depending on the education and age, a animal caretaker in paid employment will earn between 1700 and 2500 euros gross per month. There are also many animal caretakers who do not perform their work full-time and may only work a few hours a week. There are also relatively many volunteers when it comes to animal care.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
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