Job Duties Custom List 39-2021.00 — Animal Caretakers
- Find homes for stray or unwanted animals.
Occupations with related tasks Save Table: XLSX CSV
- Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.
- Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.
- Shift animals between grazing areas to ensure that they have sufficient access to food.
- Protect herds from predators, using trained dogs.
- Groom, clip, trim, or castrate animals, dock ears and tails, or shear coats to collect hair.
- Spray livestock with disinfectants and insecticides, or dip or bathe animals.
- Milk animals such as cows and goats, by hand or using milking machines.
- Perform duties related to livestock reproduction, such as breeding animals within appropriate timeframes, performing artificial inseminations, and helping with animal births.
- Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.
- Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment.
- Mark livestock to identify ownership and grade, using brands, tags, paint, or tattoos.
- Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals.
- Segregate animals according to weight, age, color, and physical condition.
- Inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences.
- Move equipment, poultry, or livestock from one location to another, manually or using trucks or carts.
- Clean stalls, pens, and equipment, using disinfectant solutions, brushes, shovels, water hoses, or pumps.
- Mix feed, additives, and medicines in prescribed portions.
- Order food for animals, and arrange for its delivery.
- Patrol grazing lands on horseback or using all-terrain vehicles.
- Collect, inspect, and place eggs in incubators, operate machines for egg washing, candling, and grading, and pack eggs in cartons.
- Maintain growth, feeding, production, and cost records.
- Trim and shear poultry beaks, toes, and wings using debeaking machines, heated hand shears, or hot wires.
- Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.
- Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.
- Shift animals between grazing areas to ensure that they have sufficient access to food.
- Protect herds from predators, using trained dogs.
- Groom, clip, trim, or castrate animals, dock ears and tails, or shear coats to collect hair.
- Spray livestock with disinfectants and insecticides, or dip or bathe animals.
- Milk animals such as cows and goats, by hand or using milking machines.
- Perform duties related to livestock reproduction, such as breeding animals within appropriate timeframes, performing artificial inseminations, and helping with animal births.
- Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
- Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.
- Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
- Find homes for stray or unwanted animals.
- Transfer animals between enclosures to facilitate breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits.
- Advise pet owners on how to care for their pets' health.
- 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.
- 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.
- Observe and caution children petting and feeding animals in designated areas to ensure the safety of humans and animals.
- Clean and disinfect surgical equipment.
- Discuss with clients their pets' grooming needs.
- 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.
- Sell pet food and supplies.
- Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
- Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.
- Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
- Find homes for stray or unwanted animals.
- Transfer animals between enclosures to facilitate breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits.
- Advise pet owners on how to care for their pets' health.
- Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
- Bathe and groom animals.
- Clip or shear hair on animals.
- Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary.
- Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics.
- Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition.
- Inject prepared animal semen into female animals for breeding purposes, by inserting nozzle of syringe into vagina and depressing syringe plunger.
- Package and label semen to be used for artificial insemination, recording information such as the date, source, quality, and concentration.
- Measure specified amounts of semen into calibrated syringes, and insert syringes into inseminating guns.
- Examine semen microscopically to assess and record density and motility of gametes, and dilute semen with prescribed diluents, according to formulas.
- Attach rubber collecting sheaths to genitals of tethered bull and stimulate animal's organ to induce ejaculation.
- Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries.
- Purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines.
- Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury.
- Build hutches, pens, and fenced yards.
- Record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets.
- Brand, tattoo, or tag animals to allow animal identification.
- Arrange for sale of animals and eggs to hospitals, research centers, pet shops, and food processing plants.
- Place vaccines in drinking water, inject vaccines, or dust air with vaccine powder to protect animals from diseases.
- Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals' health and safety.
- Maintain logs of semen specimens used and animals bred.
- Prepare containers of semen for freezing and storage or shipment, placing them in dry ice or liquid nitrogen.
- Exhibit animals at shows.
- Perform procedures such as animal dehorning or castration.
- Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
- Bathe and groom animals.
- Clip or shear hair on animals.
- Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary.
- Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics.
- Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition.
- Inject prepared animal semen into female animals for breeding purposes, by inserting nozzle of syringe into vagina and depressing syringe plunger.
- Package and label semen to be used for artificial insemination, recording information such as the date, source, quality, and concentration.
- Measure specified amounts of semen into calibrated syringes, and insert syringes into inseminating guns.
- Examine semen microscopically to assess and record density and motility of gametes, and dilute semen with prescribed diluents, according to formulas.
- Attach rubber collecting sheaths to genitals of tethered bull and stimulate animal's organ to induce ejaculation.
- Feed or exercise animals or provide other general care, such as cleaning or maintaining holding or performance areas.
- Cue or signal animals during performances.
- Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact.
- Conduct training programs to develop or maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding, or related purposes.
- Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.
- Evaluate animals to determine their temperaments, abilities, or aptitude for training.
- Administer prescribed medications to animals.
- Keep records documenting animal health, diet, or behavior.
- Evaluate animals for trainability and ability to perform.
- Advise animal owners regarding the purchase of specific animals.
- Train horses or other equines for riding, harness, show, racing, or other work, using knowledge of breed characteristics, training methods, performance standards, and the peculiarities of each animal.
- Use oral, spur, rein, or hand commands to condition horses to carry riders or to pull horse-drawn equipment.
- Retrain horses to break bad habits, such as kicking, bolting, or resisting bridling or grooming.
- Train dogs in human assistance or property protection duties.
- Train dogs to work as guides for blind or low vision individuals.
- Place tack or harnesses on horses to accustom horses to the feel of equipment.
- Organize or conduct animal shows.
- Instruct jockeys in handling specific horses during races.
- Train and rehearse animals, according to scripts, for motion picture, television, film, stage, or circus performances.
- Feed or exercise animals or provide other general care, such as cleaning or maintaining holding or performance areas.
- Provide care for park program animals.
- Provide visitor services, such as explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs and complaints, and providing information about the park and surrounding areas.
- Assist with operations of general facilities, such as visitor centers.
- Conduct field trips to point out scientific, historic, and natural features of parks, forests, historic sites, or other attractions.
- Plan and organize public events at the park.
- Prepare and present illustrated lectures and interpretive talks about park features.
- Train staff on park programs.
- Develop environmental educational programs and curricula for schools.
- Research stories regarding the area's natural history or environment.
- Compile and maintain official park photographic and information files.
- Take photographs and motion pictures for use in lectures and publications and to develop displays.
- Interview specialists in desired fields to obtain and develop data for park information programs.
- Survey park to determine forest conditions and distribution and abundance of fauna and flora.
- Confer with park staff to determine subjects and schedules for park programs.
- Plan, organize and direct activities of seasonal staff members.
- Perform emergency duties to protect human life, government property, and natural features of park.
- Construct historical, scientific, and nature visitor-center displays.
- Prepare brochures and write newspaper articles.
- Plan and develop audio-visual devices for public programs.
- Perform routine maintenance on park structures.
- Provide care for park program animals.
- Conduct specialized procedures, such as animal branding or tattooing or hoof trimming.
- Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted.
- Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery.
- Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books.
- Perform laboratory tests on blood, urine, or feces, such as urinalyses or blood counts, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems.
- Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians.
- Restrain animals during exams or procedures.
- Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures.
- Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials.
- Provide veterinarians with the correct equipment or instruments, as needed.
- Perform dental work, such as cleaning, polishing, or extracting teeth.
- Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms.
- Give enemas and perform catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages.
- Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers.
- Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination.
- Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas.
- Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment.
- Discuss medical health of pets with clients, such as post-operative status.
- Clean kennels, animal holding areas, surgery suites, examination rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
- Take animals into treatment areas and assist with physical examinations by performing such duties as obtaining temperature, pulse, or respiration data.
- Prepare treatment rooms for surgery.
- Maintain laboratory, research, or treatment records, as well as inventories of pharmaceuticals, equipment, or supplies.
- Maintain instruments, equipment, or machinery to ensure proper working condition.
- Dress and suture wounds and apply splints or other protective devices.
- Provide assistance with animal euthanasia and the disposal of remains.
- Schedule appointments and procedures for animals.
- Provide information or counseling regarding issues such as animal health care, behavior problems, or nutrition.
- Monitor medical supplies and place orders when inventory is low.
- Supervise or train veterinary students or other staff members.
- Perform a variety of office, clerical, or accounting duties, such as reception, billing, bookkeeping, or selling products.
- Bathe animals, clip nails or claws, and brush or cut animals' hair.
- Conduct specialized procedures, such as animal branding or tattooing or hoof trimming.
