Certificate in Animal Care

By PHILIPPA STEVENSON

AUT's National Certificate in Animal Care is a one-year, part-time course which can be studied in three ways.

Students can attend classes in Auckland two nights a week, from 5pm to 9pm, or study from home by correspondence or on the internet and attend three block courses.

Students, who may already be employed caring for animals or simply want to know how to care for their own animals, study for around 20 hours a week.

Many students working in veterinary clinics use the course to get a qualification in their chosen field. Others work for the SPCA, catteries, kennels and pet shops.

Practical skills studied include handling and restraining cats, dogs, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, mice, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. Students also do clinical examinations on dogs and study emergency transportation of animals. Practical exercises in the laboratory, including dissections of animals and identification of organs, support theory in anatomy and physiology.

Course theory ranges over health monitoring and husbandry of animals, ranging from fish to cats, identifying diseases, time-management, ethics, law, safe working practices, hygiene and animal behaviour.

Assessment is by theory and practical tests, case studies, and portfolios.

The course is recognised by the New Zealand Veterinary Association as a quality animal course and the certificate contains many unit standards, necessary for several other qualifications in New Zealand. Among other animal-related courses, it leads on to the National Certificate in Veterinary Nursing, which in turn leads to the National Diploma in veterinary nursing.

A new course just being entered into the NZ Qualifications framework is the Rural Animal Technicians course, which also contains many unit standards from the Certificate in Animal Care.

Course entrants, who can start the course in February or July, need Year 11 (fifth form) or preferably Year 12 (sixth form) biology and English. Adult entry is based on demonstrated ability.

Students need to apply to enter the upcoming course starting in July by the end of May.

The course costs around $2000, or about $500 for each of four modules. Some students do a module at a time, according to their available time and money.

Graduates can expect employment in any animal-related field, including pet shops, veterinary clinics, kennels, catteries and animal welfare organisations, on a starting wage of around $22,000.

WHAT STUDENTS THINK


Raewyn Chamberlain, 40

Veterinary clinic receptionist, Kaukapakapa

Graduate 2003

I love animals. We have a small block at Glorit on the Kaipara coast with a dog, Suffolk sheep, poultry, rabbits, 12 cats, one goat and more coming, and wildlife like quail and pheasant. We hope to get kune kune pigs. It is a bit like The Good Life.

A few years ago a dog savaged our sheep and I helped our vet Tom Henderson stitch them up. When he saw I didn't mind putting my fingers in the cavities, he suggested I might like to work at his clinic.

I've been there two years now. I did the certificate last year by correspondence. It worked out well and was a great course.

I can now assess animals at the clinic, check their breathing, take temperatures and pulses and know, for instance, if I need to bring them to the vet's attention urgently.

It was interesting to learn how much to feed a dog or chickens. I'd been overfeeding our dog.

The course was challenging and interesting and the teacher was great.

A night at the zoo at the end of the course was just amazing.

The other students on my course, except one, were female, aged from 21 to 41 and were from all over New Zealand.

The networking since has been great. I'm now doing the vet nursing course and so are seven or eight others. One is studying to be a veterinary technician. I'd recommend the course. It's an accomplishment and helps your career.

WHAT EMPLOYERS THINK

Tom Henderson, Veterinarian

Kaukapakapa

The course gives a good, general, basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology. We've got two people here who have done it.

It's probably a good basis for those who go on to study to be vet nurses. The technical knowledge is definitely of assistance to the practice.


Auckland University of Technology