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Useful experience for animal care attendants includes paid or volunteer work with animals.

Animal care attendants may do some or all of the following:

• clean and maintain animal enclosures
• feed, bathe, groom, and exercise animals, and check their behaviour and health
• treat animals for minor injuries and illnesses under veterinary supervision
• help with animal training and research
• keep records and carry out office work.

Depending where they work, animal care attendants may also:

• serve customers
• supervise volunteers
• collect payments
• keep accounts and stock records.

Animal care attendant turnover high, but competition strong

Animal care attendant vacancies come up regularly because people often leave the job after a short period. This is due to low pay and almost half the jobs available being part time.

However, competition for jobs can be strong, as many people want to work with animals.

According to the Census, 804 animal care attendants worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Volunteer work is a useful start

Your chances of securing an animal care attendant job are best if you've volunteered at a place like an animal shelter.

Summer, when most kittens are born, is a good time to look for a temporary job.

Qualifications can help you get a job and a higher wage 

A qualification in animal care may help you secure a job as an animal care attendant, and negotiate a higher wage. 

Types of employers varied

Animal care attendants may progress to set up their own business, such as a dog-walking service or animal day care, or move into management.

With further training, animal care attendants may progress to become veterinary nurses or zookeepers.

• Veterinary nurse job information
• Zookeeper job information

Animal care attendants may specialise in caring for specific animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits or fish.

Animal care attendants need to:

• care about animals and be confident working with them
• be excellent communicators, as they may have to deal with people in stressful situations, and handle conflict
• be calm and reliable
• be quick-thinking and able to follow instructions
• be able to work well alone and in a team.