Animal handler jobs in Finland
Animal handlers are in charge of handling animals in a working role and continue the training of the animal, in accordance with national legislation.
Animal handler – 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 handler - 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.
Carry out activities according to accepted principles of right and wrong, including transparency in work practices and conduct towards clients and their animals.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Animal handler - Which skills are useful but not essential?
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.
Load and unload animals safely into containers or cages for transportation. Make sure they are secure and safely established in the transport vehicle.
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.
Maintain a positive attitude during challenging situations such as a misbehaving animal. Work under pressure and adapt to the circumstances in a positive manner.'
Handle the male breeding animal for the collection of semen for use in artificial insemination.
Make simple calculations regarding the money that should be earned in relation to the number of hours worked.
Animal nutrition, agronomy, rural economics, animal husbandry, hygiene and bio-security, ethology, protection and herd health management.
Keep the health and welfare of animals during transportation, including frequent monitoring for signs of stress and symptoms of ill health.
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.
Make a choice from several alternative possibilities that promote the animal's well-being.
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.
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.
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.