Become An Animal Care Attendant.
If you want to work with animals, this could be your way in. You'll study the theory online at your own pace, then do your placement hours in an animal-care workplace. No prior study is needed to start.
Course Snapshot
- ✓Nationally Recognised Training under the AQF
- ✓No prior study needed to start
- ✓Placement arranged for you, not left to you
- ✓Weekly webinar with a qualified trainer
Why Do This Course
A Fresh Start With Animals
No prior study is needed, and you must be 18 or over. If you are changing careers and want work with animals, this is an entry-level way in.
Get Qualified In The Job You Have
Already working or helping out with animals? This gives you the certificate to go with what you can already do.
Hands-On, Not Just Online
Some units need live animals, so 160 hours of placement are built in. You'll finish having handled, fed and cared for dogs and cats on the job.
Where These Skills Could Take You
Animal care is hands-on work: feeding, cleaning, handling and watching over animals, and talking with owners and staff. These skills are used in shelters, pet-care services and vet clinics, where attendants keep animals fed, clean and calm.
Animal Care Attendant
Pet-Care Assistant
Veterinary Clinic Animal Care Support
Shelter Assistant
Roles where these skills are useful, not promised outcomes. Every workplace is different, and some need more study or experience. This course does not qualify you as a vet nurse.
What You'll Learn
What You’ll Get
In the Course
- ✓Feeding and watering, preparing food and watching intake
- ✓Hygiene routines, cleaning and infection control
- ✓Safe handling, dogs, cats and companion animals
- ✓Basic animal first aid, spotting injury or distress early
As a Student
- ✓Online and self-paced, theory studied in your own time
- ✓Weekly webinar, 3 hours with a qualified trainer
- ✓Placement arranged, the college finds your host workplace
- ✓Recording emailed, if you cannot attend live
What Makes It Different
Here is what stands out in this course.
The college's placement team finds your host workplace and sets up your placement. If you were dreading the search, you don't have to do it, though you may need to travel.
Each week you get a 3-hour webinar run by qualified trainers. The first hour teaches the unit, the next two are for assessment help and open questions. If you miss it, the recording is emailed to you.
General care of domestic dogs and domestic cats are separate units, along with basic animal first aid. That is the day-to-day work of an animal-care attendant, taught in full.
What You'll Earn
Certificate II in Animal Care
ACM20121 · Nationally Recognised Training
A Nationally Recognised Qualification
This is Nationally Recognised Training. Successful completion leads to an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification.
Checked On The National Register
We check the code and the college on the national training register before this page goes up. ACM20121 is current. The college is registered to deliver and assess it.
160 Placement Hours Behind You
Done in an approved animal-care workplace, showing the practical skills the course asks for with dogs and cats.
How It Works
Ask About the Course
Send an enquiry. A course advisor gets back to you with the details, the payment options and start dates.
Do the Pre-Training Review
Before enrolment the college checks the course suits you: your study skills, your health, and the tech you have at home.
Study Online, Join The Webinar
Work through the theory at your own pace, and join the weekly 3-hour webinar with a qualified trainer.
Do Your Placement And Finish
Complete 160 hours on placement with animals, and finish with a nationally recognised Certificate II.
How to Get Started
Common Questions
Do I need experience to start?
No. You won't need any prior study for this course. You must be at least 18, and the college does a pre-training review to confirm the course suits you.
What does it cost each week?
From $52 per week on the payment plan. You can also pay monthly, or pay the full fee upfront at a discount. The weekly and monthly plans both need an initial payment before instalments begin.
How does the work placement work?
160 hours in an approved animal-care workplace, on top of your online study. A placement coordinator arranges it for you. You may need to travel to your placement, and locations depend on which hosts are available.
Can I do this online?
Mostly. The theory is studied online, in your own time. But some units need practical skills with live animals, so the placement part cannot be skipped.
What if I cannot attend the live webinar?
The recording is emailed to you afterward, so you can watch it when it suits. The first hour covers the unit topic, and the next two are for assessment help and questions.
Does this make me a vet nurse?
It is a strong first step towards that goal. It does not qualify you as a vet nurse, and you cannot diagnose or treat animals on your own. What you do get is entry-level skills, and a path towards the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, subject to that course's entry rules.
Is this a real qualification?
Yes. ACM20121 is Nationally Recognised Training under the Australian Qualifications Framework. The college is approved to deliver and assess it. We check both on the national training register.
What if I need to withdraw?
Full payment and refund details are provided to you before enrolment or before you pay any fees. Ask your course advisor for the details, and read them before you commit.
About the College
This course is delivered by Melbourne City Institute of Education, an RTO, number 22172.
This version runs online through the learning system, with a weekly webinar and a compulsory placement with animals. The head office and campus are at Level 5, 259 Collins St, Melbourne. The college also teaches early childhood, health, community services, aged care, hospitality and English language teaching.
Enquire Today
Picture the end of your first shift, when a dog that was shy of you that morning rests its head on your hand.