We are now going to look at the role communication plays in the animal care workplace. It is important to be aware, that in these settings, extra care needs to be considered as they can sometimes be quite emotional and stressful situations for the patient and the family. You will need to be mindful of how you address those seeking care for their animals and offer a level of support that keeps all involved as calm and supported as possible.
Types of people you may encounter in your role working with animals:
- Pet Owners
- Concerned Pet Owners: People bringing their pets for medical care, vaccinations, or check-ups, often seeking reassurance and guidance.
- Surrendering Owners: Individuals who, for various reasons, need to surrender their pets to the RSPCA.
- Potential Adopters
- First-Time Pet Owners: People who are new to pet ownership and might have many questions about adoption and care.
- Experienced Pet Owners: Individuals who have previously owned pets and are looking to adopt another one.
- Families: Groups, often with children, looking to adopt a pet that fits into their family dynamics.
- Volunteers
- Animal Care Volunteers: Individuals who help with feeding, grooming, and exercising the animals.
- Foster Carers: People who temporarily care for animals in their homes until they are ready for adoption.
- Event Volunteers: Those who assist with public outreach, fundraising, and adoption events.
- Veterinary Staff
- Veterinarians: Professionals providing medical care to the animals.
- Vet Nurses/Technicians: Support staff who assist with medical procedures, administer medications, and monitor animal health.
- Animal Control Officers
- Individuals responsible for the enforcement of animal welfare laws and regulations often bring in animals that have been rescued from neglect or abuse.
- Visitors and General Public
- Animal Lovers: People visiting the facility to interact with the animals or support the RSPCA's mission.
- Educators/Schools: Teachers or school groups visiting for educational purposes, often learning about animal welfare and care.
- Suppliers and Service Providers
- Food and Supply Vendors: Businesses delivering pet food, medical supplies, and other necessities for the facility.
- Maintenance Workers: Technicians who repair and maintain the facility’s infrastructure.
- External Stakeholders
- Donors and Sponsors: Individuals or organizations providing financial support or donations of goods.
- Partner Organizations: Other animal welfare groups, rescue organizations, or government agencies collaborating with the RSPCA.
- Emergency Responders
- Firefighters/Police Officers: Responding to emergencies that involve animals, such as rescues or evacuations.
Stakeholders are people who are either affiliated or involved with an organisation. Stakeholders can include:
- employees
- supervisors / managers (internal staff)
- clients (external).
Throughout your work, you will communicate to a wide range of stakeholders within your organisation and outside. By identifying the type of stakeholder, you will then be able to cater your communication to suit for example, If a client has their pet booked in for surgery for the coming day, your clinic may have a certain procedure such as sending reminder SMS the day before, confirming the surgery. A phone call and email may also be issued if there are specific details the patient needs to know prior to surgery, for example, their pet may need to fast 12 hours before the surgery takes place.
Identifying Stakeholders
The way stakeholders are identified for their relevance, is usually carried out through your orientation (when you meet your employees and or make your first contacts with clients). You may also become acquainted through any other on the job training or through communication from staff, supervisors and/or managers.
The following diagram illustrates the scope of stakeholders at Noah’s Ark Veterinary clinic:
Work tasks are the roles and responsibilities each employee is required to perform in their job. If an employee is unclear of their tasks, they can access their job description through their staff handout/ induction or complete further on the job training.
Various factors impact the work tasks. Some of these include:
Timing
This could depend on the time of day, month, or year. It could also contribute to the productivity and demand of the company.
The Role Within the Organisation
Smaller organisations may require an employee to take on a wider scope of roles, while in bigger organisations, roles may be specific to each set department. This means each employee would only be responsible for the tasks that are more relevant and focussed to them and limits time on duties that may be administrative or irrelevant.
The Type of Industry
The type of industry would also change your work tasks e.g. Your tasks would be slightly different if you were working at a veterinary clinic versus working at an animal shelter.
The Type of Workplace
Each workplace has a unique approach to the way that tasks are completed, which is why there is an orientation/induction process that occurs at the commencement of employment. It could be that the steps for handling/ restraining a pet may be slightly different or that the recommended medications for pets are a totally different brand to what you are used to seeing on the counters. It may take some time to change your ways if you have been at a previous workplace for a lengthy amount of time, but it is important to follow the policies and procedures of the workplace you work at to ensure you are abiding by the same rules which apply to everyone else.
