Pet Groomers and Animal Care Workers - What They Do

Animal care workers feed, handle, train and groom animals and assist veterinarians, animal health technologists and technicians and animal breeders. Pet groomers clip coats, bathe and otherwise groom pets. Workers in this group are employed by animal hospitals and clinics, animal shelters, breeding and boarding kennels, zoos, laboratories, retail pet shops, dog training schools, pet grooming establishments, or may be self-employed.

Job duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Prepare food and feed animals, fish or birds at scheduled intervals
Clean and disinfect cages, pens and surrounding areas
Shampoo, clip and groom animals
Assist veterinarians and animal health technologists and technicians to inoculate and treat animals
Assist animal breeders to handle and nurture animals
Assist scientists and researchers in conducting laboratory tests with animals
Monitor and document animal behaviour
Train dogs to obey commands and perform specific duties in response to signals.

Job titles

animal care worker (except farm)
laboratory animal attendant
zoo attendant
veterinary attendant
dog groomer
dog trainer
pet groomer
kennel attendant
pound attendant

Employment Requirements

This is what you typically need for the job:

Completion of secondary school is usually required.
Depending on the type of work performed, training courses in animal handling, grooming or dog training are usually required. Animal health or veterinary assistant college courses may be required for animal care workers.

Essential Skills

Service and Care