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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Create a Animal Care Resume
in 5 Simple Steps

  • Step 1: Add Contact Info

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  • Step 2: Include Work Experience Details

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  • Step 3: Provide Education Details

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  • Step 4: Select Your Skills

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  • Step 5: Fill in Your Background

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Get Expert Writing Recommendations for Your Animal Care Resume

LiveCareer’s animal care resume examples show you what employers look for in a resume. Our resume builder helps you craft your own by offering field-specific recommendations across a variety of job titles in the animal care industry. From dog groomers to pet care specialists, our certified resume writers know what recruiters look for and offer pre-written resume content to help you create an impressive document in a matter of minutes.

Here are a few examples our builder may suggest for your animal care resume:

  • Monitored animals for signs of disease, illness or injury and communicated concerns to owners
  • Maintained animal well-being and health by trimming nails, brushing coat, cleaning ears and providing other types of basic care
  • Provided top-notch customer service to every customer and exceptional care to all animals
  • Followed all pet care instructions, including medication regimens and dietary needs

6 Do’s and Don’ts for Writing an Animal Care Resume

  • Do emphasize your soft skills. When applying for a job in animal care, your love and passion for animals should be clear to anyone reading your resume. Be sure to list soft skills like compassion or a passion for play on your resume to show employers you have the right disposition for the role.
  • Do highlight experience over education. For many positions in animal care, experience is more important than education. Lead with your years of dog walking or pet sitting experience, as these accomplishments speak to your ability to connect with animals.
  • Do mention special training. If you have special training handling exotic or aggressive animals, mention it. This type of training could set you apart from the competition.
  • Don’t underestimate volunteer experience. Even unpaid work can stand out on a resume, especially if it applies to the position you seek. For example, did your class volunteer with a local humane society? Did you spend time as a camp counselor at a zoo? Volunteer work is a great addition to any resume, but is particularly useful for entry-level candidates..
  • Don’t include references on the resume itself. However, people seeking animal care are choosing a stranger to care for their pets and, therefore, may want reassurances about your responsibility and trustworthiness. Write up your references in a separate document listing the names and contact information of people willing to speak to your personality and integrity.
  • Don’t hide your personality. Even in animal care, personality counts. Regardless of the role, you’ll likely be interacting with human managers and coworkers. Present a resume that highlights your personality. Don’t sacrifice professionalism, though; instead let your character shine in the cover letter and professional summary.

Beat the ATS with These Animal Care Resume Skills

When applying for a job working with animals, your resume and cover letter may need to pass an applicant tracking system (ATS). Larger employers, such as the ASPCA and pet store chains, may use an ATS to scan resumes automatically to find keywords related to the position. This helps hiring managers eliminate unqualified candidates.

LiveCareer’s Resume Builder helps your resume pass through the ATS by providing suggestions for skills that are sought after by hiring managers. .

Here are examples of skills our builder might suggest for your animal care resume:

  • On- and off-leash walks
  • Pet grooming
  • Animal nutrition knowledge
  • Dog behavior insight
  • Pet care needs
  • Exercising and playing
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Animal Care Resumes for Every Professional Level

Entry-Level
Dog Walker Build my Resume

Dog Walker

This job seeker, seeking an entry-level dog walking position, doesn’t have much professional experience in the field. Because of this, she uses a functional resume format, which highlights skills over work history. She also includes two past positions outside of the animal care industry that provided her with transferable skills, like communication and customer service, both of which would be desirable to hiring managers. She uses her professional summary to concisely emphasize her passion, personality and qualifications.

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Mid-Career
Dog Groomer Build my Resume

Dog Groomer

While within the animal care industry, dog grooming requires a specific set of skills. This job seeker, seeking a mid-career role in grooming, uses a combination resume format to highlight these skills at the start of his resume, with a list of specific qualifications. While he has experience across a variety of animal care fields, he tailors this resume for a groomer position for the most impact. He also emphasizes some non-animal-related skills, such as employee training and price negotiation to show he is a well-rounded applicant.

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Executive-Level
Kennel Manager Build my Resume

Regional Kennel Manager

Entry-level workers in the child care field should focus on skills and Since highly experienced animal care professionals have more relevant experience, their resumes should focus more on an impressive career trajectory. This applicant uses a chronological resume format to showcase her rise through the ranks of her current company and her growing responsibilities. . This applicant emphasizes her professional growth, promotions and her acquired skills. Finally, while she finishes her resume with a small education section, the bulk of the document prioritizes experience over education.

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More Animal Care Resume Samples

Find resume examples for your desired animal-care career. Get access to expert writing recommendations, do’s and don’ts and everything you need to write a perfect resume.

aquaristaquarium maintenance techniciandog batherdog caretakerdog daycare attendantdog daycare managerdog groomerdog grooming apprenticedog sitterdog washerdoggie daycare attendantKennel AttendantKennel Managerpet groomerpet hotel associatepet sittingpet stylistpetcare specialistpets hotel associateprofessional dog groomerprofessional service veterinarian iiiroverzookeeperzoologistzoology

Resume Success Stories

Statistics and Facts About Animal Care Jobs

Job Outlook by Job Title (2018–2028)

From 2018–2028, the BLS projects the national workforce to grow 7.4 percent. However, the animal care industry projections show a faster-than-average growth in occupations, 24.2 percent growth from 2016 to 2026. Due in part to a busy population and the rise of apps like Rover and Wag, the demand for animal care continues to increase. O*Net reports that, between 2018–2028, 54,500 job openings in the animal care industry will rise.

National Workforce7.4%
Animal care industry24.2%
0% 15% 25%

Source: O*net and Data USA

Metropolitan Areas With Highest Employment of Animal Care Workers

  • 12,200

    New York

  • 7,810

    Los Angeles

  • 6,880

    Chicago

  • 4,650

    Atlanta

  • 4,500

    Philadelphia

  • 4,480

    Washington D.C

  • 4,440

    Dallas

  • 4,090

    Houston

  • 3,970

    Miami

  • 3,700

    Boston

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Most Common Degrees Earned by Those Working in Animal Care

  • Group 15 Copy 8

    High school diploma

    64%

  • Most Common Degrees Earned 2

    Associate degree

    14%

  • Fill 51 Copy 3

    Bachelor’s degree

    13%

Common Certifications Earned by Those Working in Animal Care

The National Dog Groomers Association of America offers certification for those reaching master status as a groomer. For those seeking a position in pet sitting, both Pet Sitters International and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters offer a certification course you can take at home. Those applying to aquarist jobs should consider a scuba diving certification. Self-employed animal care workers should obtain a business license.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Most Common Race or Ethnicity in Animal Care

White83.2%
Black5.2%
Two or More Races3.9%
Asian2.4%
0% 50% 100%

Source: DataUSA

Gender Composition in Animal Care

Female 75.3%

Male 24.7%

Source: DataUSA

Common Animal Care Job Titles and Annual Salary

Animal Caretaker$23,760
Animal Trainer$29,290
Animal Control$36,330
0K 25K 50K

Source: O*Net and Chron

Largest Employers of Animal Care Workers

Self-employed43%
Support activities for agriculture and forestry19%
Animal production and aquaculture8%
Arts, entertainment and recreation7%
Retail trade7%
0% 25% 50%

In 2018, 285,600 people held positions as nonfarm animal caretakers. The largest employers of animal caretakers were:

Personal service33%
Self-employed27%
Professional, scientific and technical services13%
Retail trade11%
Social advocacy organizations4%
0% 25% 50%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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