- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to use your initiative
- to be flexible and open to change
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- customer service skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Your day-to-day tasks might include:
- preparing food and feeding the animals
- keeping animals clean and grooming them
- exercising dogs in a yard or taking them for walks
- cleaning out kennels and cages
- maintaining cages, runs and grounds
- looking after animals which are elderly, ill or distressed
- answering telephone calls and greeting visitors to the premises
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work in kennels or at an animal welfare centre.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.
With experience, you could become a supervisor or manager, or set up your own kennels or cattery.
You could move into other kinds of work with animals, like dog trainer, RSPCA inspector or veterinary nurse.
You can find out more about careers in animal care from the National Land Based College UK and the The College of Animal Welfare.
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