Pet Shop Assistant

Retail & Customer Service

ANZSCO ID 3611

Summary

Animal Attendants and Trainers train, feed, groom and care for animals.

Employment Pathway

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as an Animal Attendant or Trainer. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in companion animal services.

Top Skills Required

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 the meaning of written sentences and paragraphs

Key tasks

Teaching animals to obey verbal and non-verbal commands and addressing behavioural problems
Training animals to accept riders and pull vehicles
Training animals to perform in competitions
Bathing, cutting, combing, blow-drying and styling pets' coats, clipping their nails and cleaning their ears
Inspecting, preparing, cleaning, disinfecting and maintaining comfortable animal cages and enclosures
Transporting food, filling water troughs and feeding animals according to their individual needs
Maintaining animal health records, treating minor injuries and reporting serious conditions to Veterinarians
Exercising and playing with animals, answering visitor questions, and transferring animals between enclosures by leading or carrying them
Dusting and spraying insecticides on animals and immersing them in insecticide baths, to control insect pests

Facts about this occupation

14.9% Growth

47% Full-time Share

$1,287 Avg Pay/Wk

22,900 Workers

38 years Avg Age

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