Pet groomers and animal care workers
Career Overview
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.
People in this occupation:
- Work with cats and dogs most often, but may also care for other animals, depending on the work environment
- Work for animal hospitals and clinics, animal shelters, breeding and boarding facilities, zoos, laboratories, retail pet shops, dog training schools or pet grooming establishments
- May be self-employed
- Customer service and administrative skills are assets for pet groomers and some animal care workers
- Should have a love of animals
- Good observation skills, interpersonal skills and an ability to exercise gentle and secure restraint are also required
Duties
Pet groomers and animal care workers:
- 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
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
3,885% Employed Full Time
28%Pet groomers and animal care workers usually work indoors. These workers may get wet and dirty while bathing animals. They are also sometimes required to lift heavy animals.
Many work irregular hours, including evenings and weekends. Some groomers may travel to customers' homes and some animal care workers may travel to pick up stray animals.
Animal care workers in veterinary clinics or labs typically work as part of a team. Dog trainers work mostly with dog owners, relying on their people skills as much as their animal behaviour modification skills.
Self-employed groomers are required to provide their own equipment.
Handling animals can pose some hazards so proper care is needed to avoid bites and scratches. A strong understanding of animal behaviour helps workers recognize when animals are upset so they can avoid such injuries. Other hazards include slipping on wet floors, back strain or electrical shocks or burns from dryers.
Career Pathways
Workers with experience and further education may progress to other occupations, such as animal health technologist, supervisor or manager of animal care facilities, certified master groomer or grooming instructor.
Some veterinary clinics may allow veterinary attendants to perform some of the duties of an animal health technician if there is a registered animal health technician in the clinic to provide supervision.
Workers in this occupational group may also decide to open their own grooming businesses or kennels.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Job Titles
Education, Training and Skills
Completion of secondary school is generally required to work in this occupational group. Other requirements may include:
- Training courses in animal handling, grooming or dog training
- A veterinary technology diploma or an equivalent combination of education, experience and certification
- Certification by a reputable training school for pet trainers
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Academic/Basic Upgrading
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
3,885Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 115 | 3.0% |
| Kootenay | 180 | 4.6% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 2,105 | 54.1% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 55 | 1.4% |
| Northeast | 50 | 1.3% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 535 | 13.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 840 | 21.6% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
1,480Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 30 | 0.1% |
| Kootenay | 40 | 0.5% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 930 | 2.1% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 20 | 0.2% |
| Northeast | 30 | 1.4% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 210 | 1.6% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 240 | 0.7% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 1,180 |
| Retail Trade | 120 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 80 |
| Information, Culture and Recreation | 40 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 10 |
Insights from Industry
More job openings will become available in the next few years as a result of worker turnover than from new job creation.
The average age of those working in this occupational group in B.C. is younger than the provincial average. Therefore, there will be a limited number of positions available to replace existing workers who retire.
Industry sources expect growth in demand for these workers will be strongest in the Mainland/Southwest. Workers with veterinary assistant or grooming certification are expected to have an advantage in finding work in this field. In addition, the recent popularity of dog obedience classes and dog sports has resulted in a higher demand for dog trainers, particularly in urban centres.
Resources
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Canadian Association of Animal Laboratory Sciencewww.calas-acsal.org
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Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainerswww.cappdt.ca
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Canadian Kennel Clubwww.ckc.ca/en
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Pet Industry Joint Advisory Councilpijac.org
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PetGroomer.com: Pet groomer resource sitewww.petgroomer.com
