Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit of competency covers the process of providing appropriate management of impounded and surrendered animals including receiving animals, maintaining pound hygiene, providing the appropriate level of care for animals and discharging animals accordingly.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Application of the unit 

This unit is applicable to those working in the animal control and regulation sectors where it may be required to gather information on the animals received, process appropriate documentation and ensure the pound and its facilities are clean and hygiene is maintained. Knowledge of relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures is also required.

In addition to legal and ethical responsibilities, all units of competency in the ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package have the requirement for animals to be handled gently and calmly. The individual is required to exhibit appropriate care for animals so that stress and discomfort is minimised.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Receive animals

1.1. Animals  are received at pound.

1.2. Information  on animals is gathered and documented in accordance with organisational policies and procedures and legislative requirements.

1.3. Information on animals is transferred to organisational management/recordkeeping system.

1.4. Animals' temperament, health and condition are assessed.

1.5. Where possible, owners are contacted and effort is made to reunite animals with owners.

2. Maintain pound hygiene

2.1. Pound facility is cleaned and disinfected in accordance with organisational policies and procedures, including occupational health and safety  (OHS ) procedures.

2.2. Animals are temporarily removed from housing whilst it is cleaned.

2.3. Animals are cleaned and returned to housing.

2.4. All walkways, floors, fixtures and structures are cleaned, disinfected and maintained in accordance with organisational policies and procedures and legislative requirements.

2.5. Isolation procedures are carried out in accordance with organisational policies and legislative requirements.

2.6. Waste is disposed of in accordance with legislative requirements.

2.7. Adequate levels of supplies  are maintained.

3. Provide appropriate care for animals

3.1. Condition of animals is regularly checked and abnormalities are reported to supervisor immediately.

3.2. Appropriate housing, food, water and veterinary care are provided.

3.3. Food, water and treatment regimes are provided in accordance with legislative requirements and/or veterinarian's instructions.

3.4. Animals are handled in a safe, humane and ethical manner at all times.

3.5. Appropriate records are maintained in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.

4. Discharge animals

4.1. Animals' temperaments are assessed pending discharge.

4.2. Animals are prepared  and discharged in accordance with organisational policies and procedures and legislative requirements.

4.3. Documentation for discharges is prepared and legal requirements are met.

4.4. Information about care of the animals is provided to the new owners and animals are discharged.

4.5. Animals not discharged within a given period are prepared to be euthanased.

4.6. Clerical duties  are carried out in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• complete procedures required before the discharge of an animal as appropriate and in accordance with state or territory legislation
• deal with conflict situations with owners and members of the public
• develop a working rapport with animals
• employ safe, humane and environmentally responsible organisational systems and procedures when working with and handling animals
• identify abnormal animal behaviour
• maintain the highest standards of pound management, hygiene, infection control and animal care
• read and follow OHS and infection-control procedures and other policies and procedures, and record details and information in an accurate manner
• undertake clerical and administrative duties
• undertake temperament assessment of animals
• use and record the use of chemicals and medicines, in accordance with relevant state or territory legislation
• literacy skills to read and follow organisational policies and procedures, including OHS, animal welfare, infection control and waste management; follow sequenced written instructions; record accurately and legibly information collected; and select and apply procedures to a range of defined tasks
• oral communication skills/language to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation, including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification and consulting with or seeking advice from supervisor
• numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures
• interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities
• problem-solving skills to use available resources and prioritise daily tasks
• use safe manual handling techniques and/or equipment
• use safe waste handling and disposal procedures.

Required knowledge 

• animal behaviour for temperament assessment
• animal health and hygiene
• animal identification techniques
• animal requirements relating to feed, water and housing
• hazards associated with the use/misuse of medicines
• indicators of animal wellbeing
• indicators of diseases and zoonoses, signs and effects
• organisational policies and procedures
• pound environment
• relevant legislative requirements, including codes of practice and Australian standards
• workplace hygiene standards, disinfectants, cleaning agents, cleaning techniques and cleaning equipment and materials.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:

• carry out the admission of animals, including gathering information about animals, assessing temperament, health and condition, and processing documentation
• clean and maintain hygiene of the pound, including animal enclosures, fixtures, fittings and walkways
• maintain pound supplies
• handle animals in an ethical and humane manner
• provide animals with appropriate housing, nutritional food, water and treatment regimes
• communicate effectively with clients, animal owners, staff and veterinarians
• carry out discharge procedures in accordance with relevant legislation
• access and use management systems to keep and maintain accurate records.

The skills and knowledge required to carry out pound procedures must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in an animal control and regulation workplace or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions.

There must be access to animals normally found within a pound and the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.

Method of assessment 

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities and over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:

• written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge
• observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks
• simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions
• third-party evidence
• workplace documentation.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment 

Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Animals  received at the pound may include:

• birds
• cats
• dogs
• livestock.

Information  about an animal may include:

• breed, size, weight, colour and sex
• identification device details, if applicable
• registration details, if applicable
• where found
• how and why brought to pound
• behaviour
• owner details, if known.

OHS  risks when working with animals may include:

• animal bites, kicks, scratches and crush injuries
• biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal
• handling of chemicals and medicines
• gas leakage
• inhalation of aerosol particles
• intraocular contamination
• manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting
• needle pricks and cuts from other sharps
• release of infective agents (animal and human)
• slippery or uneven work surfaces
• zoonoses.

Examples of supplies  that may need to be maintained include:

• animal restraint and exercise equipment
• bedding
• chemicals
• cleaning agents
• food and food supplements
• medications
• preventative treatment materials
• water.

Preparing  for discharge may involve:

• basic behavioural training
• desexing
• microchipping
• providing veterinary checks
• temperament testing
• vaccinations.

Clerical duties  may include:

• creating invoices and receipts
• data entry into organisational information management recordkeeping systems
• handling case
• participating in marketing and advertising activities.

Unit sector 

Animal control and regulation

Competency field 

Co-requisite units