Animal care attendant jobs in Finland
Animal care attendants provide routine care for non-production animals, which may include feeding, watering, cleaning, exercise and enrichment, grooming, training and monitoring of the health and welfare, in accordance with national legislation.
Animal care attendant – how much is the pay in Finland?
What the trade paid in 2024
| Median | 14.53 €/h |
|---|---|
| Bottom tenth | 11.08 €/h |
| Top tenth | 18.88 €/h |
| Employees | 2,458 |
Pay by sex, 2024
| Sex | Median | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 14.52 €/h | 2,296 |
| Men | 14.60 €/h | 162 |
Animal care attendant - Which skills are essential?
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.
Direct, control or restrain some or part of an animal's, or a group of animals', movement.
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.
Physical, behavioural and environmental signs of health and ill health in various animals.
Aspects of how different animal species are fed and provided water. Different types of animal food, the quality criteria for animal food and methods to feed and give water 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.
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.
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.
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.
Assist with the transportation of animals, including the loading and unloading of animals, the preparation of the transport vehicle, and maintaining the wellbeing of the animal throughout the transport process.
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.
The study of the mechanical, physical, bioelectrical and biochemical functioning of animals, their organs and their cells.
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.
Plan, manage and evaluate the application of the five universally recognised animal welfare needs as appropriate to species, situation and own occupation.
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.
Make sure animal enclosures such as habitats, terrariums, cages or kennels are in the appropriate and hygienic condition. Clean the enclosure and provide new bedding material if called for.
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.
Provide exercise opportunities that are suitable for respective animals and meet their particular physical requirements.
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.
Handle unforeseen incidents concerning animals and circumstances which call for urgent action in an appropriate professional manner.
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.
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 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.
The study of animal body parts, their structure and dynamic relationships, on a level as demanded by the specific occupation.
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.
Prepare and provide information to individuals or groups of people on how to promote the health and well-being of animals, and how risks to animal health and welfare may be reduced. Provide recommendations for corrective actions.
Prepare the environment for grooming, select the correct grooming equipment and grooming methods for the animal. Apply occupational health and safety principles of basic animal anatomy and physiology, including the identification and reporting of any abnormalities.
Animal care attendant - Which skills are useful but not essential?
Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
Use different channels and learning styles such as journals, courses, and conferences to obtain new information, knowledge, skills, and know-how in relation to working with animals.
Carry out activities according to accepted principles of right and wrong, including transparency in work practices and conduct towards clients and their animals.
Categorise and verify information about the environment and its impact on the animal. Analyse the situation, such as what the animal may want or need.
Collaborate with veterinary and other animal related professionals through communication of animal details, case records and summary reports orally or via written or electronic transfer.
Maintain a positive attitude during challenging situations such as a misbehaving animal. Work under pressure and adapt to the circumstances in a positive manner.'
Arrange the aquarium, introduce the species, ensure maintenance and monitoring.
Make simple calculations regarding the money that should be earned in relation to the number of hours worked.
Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
Animal nutrition, agronomy, rural economics, animal husbandry, hygiene and bio-security, ethology, protection and herd health management.
Inspect the animal for any external signs of parasites, disease or injury. Use this information to determine own actions and report your findings to owners.
Practise reasoning and apply simple or complex numerical concepts and calculations.
Animal responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Animal behaviour, ethology, learning theory, training methods, equipment, as well as communicating and working with animals and humans.
Make a choice from several alternative possibilities that promote the animal's well-being.
Scan the animal carefully, using the correct procedure for the type of scanner, to locate the possible presence of a microchip. Check the data on the relevant database or other documentation where a microchip is detected. Use the back track system to identify who implanted the chip, where a chip is not listed in a database.
Assess the needs of the offspring and juvenile animals. Take appropriate action without delay in case of problems with the health of the offspring or juvenile.
Ask questions appropriate to the setting and purpose, with the aim to elicit accurate information on the animal's health condition, in order to facilitate a correct diagnosis.
Utilise computers, IT equipment and modern day technology in an efficient way.
Manage the care for veterinary patients in accommodation including the preparation, suitability, hygiene, and monitoring of the condition of animals. Monitor and maintain animal accommodation. This includes selecting and preparing the accommodation for animals, cleaning, and maintenance.
The characteristics of different species and breeds of animals (relevant to the occupation).
Work safely and communicate effectively with individuals and groups of people who are in challenging circumstances. This would include recognition of signs of aggression, distress, threatening and how to address them to promote personal safety and that of others.
The different types of scanners available, their limitations, and how to prepare, use and maintain them; the environmental constraints of using a scanner, including what external factors can affect the reading of a microchip, e.g. metal collars, proximity to computer screens etc.