Animal Caretakers
Official O*NET title: Animal Caretakers (39-2021.00)
Also called: animal care giver, aquarist, dog bather, dog groomer, groomer
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing animal caretakers work
2 of 11 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Green (little AI use yet) — 18%.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Collect and record animal information (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Answer telephones and schedule appointments (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Advise pet owners on how to care for their pets' health (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Perform animal grooming duties (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Observe and caution children petting and feeding animals in designated areas to make sure the safety of humans and animals — no recorded AI use
- Clean and disinfect surgical equipment — no recorded AI use
- Find homes for stray or unwanted animals — no recorded AI use
- Discuss with clients their pets' grooming needs — no recorded AI use
- Transfer animals between enclosures to help with breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits — no recorded AI use
- Adjust controls to regulate specified temperature and humidity of animal quarters, nurseries, or exhibit areas — no recorded AI use
- Anesthetize and inoculate animals, according to instructions — no recorded AI use
- Install, maintain, and repair animal care facility equipment — no recorded AI use
- Train animals to perform certain tasks — no recorded AI use
- Order, unload, and store feed and supplies — no recorded AI use
- Sell pet food and supplies — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals”. Try the prompt for: “Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and animal caretakers
Will AI replace animal caretakers?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 2 of the 11 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Green rating (little AI use yet). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 20 of the 22 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which animal caretaker tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals; examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
Which animal caretaker tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions; provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment; mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 80% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a animal caretaker start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Animal Caretakers ranks #368 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #8 of 23 in Personal Care & Services.
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