Profession animal handler

Animal handlers are in charge of handling animals in a working role and continue the training of the animal, in accordance with national legislation.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Social
• Enterprising / Conventional
• Realistic / Investigative
• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Environmental enrichment for animals

  Types, methods and use of enrichment for animals to allow the expression of natural behaviour, including the provision of environmental stimuli, feeding activities, puzzles, items for manipulation, social and training activities.

• Anatomy of animals

  The study of animal body parts, their structure and dynamic relationships, on a level as demanded by the specific occupation.

• Biosecurity related to animals

  Awareness of hygiene and bio-security measures when working with animals, including causes, transmission and prevention of diseases and use of policies, materials and equipment.

• Physiology of animals

  The study of the mechanical, physical, bioelectrical and biochemical functioning of animals, their organs and their cells.

• Animal behaviour

  The natural behavioural patterns of animals, i.e. how normal and abnormal behaviour might be expressed according to species, environment, human-animal interaction and occupation.

• Safe work practices in a veterinary setting

  Safe work practices in a veterinary setting in order to identify hazards and associated risks so as to prevent accidents or incidents. This includes injury from animals, zoonotic diseases, chemicals, equipment and working environment.

• Animal welfare legislation

  The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.

• Animal welfare

  Universally recognized animal welfare needs as applied to species, situation and occupation. These are: need for a suitable environment need for a suitable diet need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

• Signs of animal illness

  Physical, behavioural and environmental signs of health and ill health in various animals.

Skills

• Provide animal training

  Provide training in basic handling, habituation, and obedience to enable the completion of day-to-day tasks while minimising the risks to the animal, the handler, and others.

• Apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting

  Apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting in order to identify hazards and associated risks so as to prevent accidents or incidents. This includes injury from animals, zoonotic diseases, chemicals, equipment and work environments.

• Treat animals ethically

  Carry out activities according to accepted principles of right and wrong, including transparency in work practices and conduct towards clients and their animals.

• Implement exercise activities for animals

  Provide exercise opportunities that are suitable for respective animals and meet their particular physical requirements.

• Manage animal biosecurity

  Plan and use appropriate biosafety measures to prevent transmission of diseases and ensure effective overall biosecurity. Maintain and follow biosecurity procedures and infection control when working with animals, including recognising potential health issues and taking appropriate action, communicating site hygiene control measures and biosecurity procedures, as well as reporting to others.

• Control animal movement

  Direct, control or restrain some or part of an animal's, or a group of animals', movement.

• Handle veterinary emergencies

  Handle unforeseen incidents concerning animals and circumstances which call for urgent action in an appropriate professional manner.

• Assess animal behaviour

  Observe and evaluate the behaviour of animals in order to work with them safely and recognise deviations from normal behaviour that signal compromised health and welfare.

• Provide an enriching environment for animals

  Provide an enriching environment for animals to allow the expression of natural behaviour, and including adjusting environmental conditions, delivering feeding and puzzle exercises, and implementing manipulation, social, and training activities.

• Provide nutrition to animals

  Provide food and water to animals. This includes preparing food and water for animals and reporting any changes in the animal feeding or drinking habits.

• Implement training programmes for animals

  Implement training programmes for animals for basic training purposes or to meet specific objectives, following a developed training programme, and reviewing and recording progress against set objectives.

• Manage animal hygiene

  Plan and use appropriate hygiene measures to prevent transmission of diseases and ensure an effective overall hygiene. Maintain and follow hygiene procedures and regulations when working with animals, communicate site hygiene controls and protocols to others. Manage the safe disposal of waste according to destination and local regulations.

• Handle working animals

  Handle and care for working animals. This includes preparation of animal, working environment and equipment, control and monitoring of the animal during work activities, and care afterwards.

• Provide first aid to animals

  Administer emergency treatment to prevent deterioration of the condition, suffering and pain until veterinary assistance can be sought. Basic emergency treatment needs to be done by non-veterinarians prior to first-aid provided by a veterinarian. Non-veterinarians providing emergency treatment are expected to seek treatment by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

• Manage animal welfare

  Plan, manage and evaluate the application of the five universally recognised animal welfare needs as appropriate to species, situation and own occupation.

• Monitor the welfare of animals

  Monitor animals’ physical condition and behaviour and report any concerns or unexpected changes, including signs of health or ill-health, appearance, condition of the animals' accommodation, intake of food and water and environmental conditions.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB