Wagga Wagga · Animal Care Program
Become a Qualified Animal Care Professional — Without Leaving Wagga Wagga.
The Pet Industry College has partnered with local trainers, assessors and pet-care businesses to bring nationally recognised animal care courses to Wagga Wagga — flexible online study, combined with real hands-on training and work placement, right here in town.
Program Overview
How We've Made Animal Care Training Possible in Wagga Wagga
We've built a complete local support system so Wagga Wagga locals can train as animal care professionals without relocating or travelling — real local trainers, real local work placements, and a dedicated local cohort to learn alongside.
Dedicated Wagga Wagga Cohort
A private local intake, so you learn and train alongside other Wagga Wagga locals — with local support every step of the way.
Local Trainers & Assessors
Real animal care industry professionals based in the Riverina, delivering hands-on training in person.
Local Work Placement
Partnered Wagga Wagga pet-care businesses provide your practical placement — no travel required.
Local Employment Opportunities
Local pet-care businesses are engaged and ready to hire — building your career from day one.
Animal Care Courses
Start Your Career in Animal Care
Animal care is one of the most rewarding — and in-demand — industries to work in. If you love animals and want a hands-on job that makes a real difference, here's what studying animal care with us actually looks like.
Our nationally recognised animal care courses teach you how to handle, care for and support the wellbeing of animals across real workplace settings — from boarding facilities and shelters to veterinary clinics and grooming salons. You'll build practical, industry-relevant skills including animal handling and welfare, health and hygiene, workplace safety and customer service — all backed by real local hands-on placement.
Where Animal Care Can Take You
Graduates go on to work across boarding facilities, shelters, veterinary clinics, grooming salons and more — right here in the Wagga Wagga region.
Our Animal Care Qualifications
Two nationally recognised pathways, both delivered under the ACM Animal Care and Management Training Package by Pet Industry College, RTO 70236.
Certificate II in Animal Care
The perfect starting point — foundational animal handling, husbandry and workplace safety. Ideal for school leavers and anyone ready to start a career in animal care.
Learn MoreCertificate III in Animal Care Services
Builds toward supervisory and specialist roles in animal care, with credit toward Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. Ideal for those ready to go further.
Learn MoreHow Wagga Wagga Delivery Works
Flexible Online Study. Real Local Animal Care Training.
Enrol into the Wagga Wagga cohort
Places are limited to a dedicated local intake — enrol early to secure your spot.
Study flexibly online
Complete your animal care theory units online, at your own pace, fitting study around work and life.
Train locally, hands-on
Learn from local trainers and assessors, with practical animal care sessions delivered right here in Wagga Wagga.
Placement with local partners
Complete your work placement with partnered Wagga Wagga pet-care businesses — no travel needed.
Why Wagga Wagga
The Demand for Animal Care Professionals Is Real.
Wagga Wagga is home to a large, engaged pet-owning community and an established local pet-care industry that's already feeling the same skilled-workforce pressure being reported right across regional NSW. That's exactly the gap this program is designed to fill.
A well-established local industry
At least 28 pet-care businesses already trade locally across grooming, boarding, training, retail and veterinary care — including a 24-hour animal hospital and Charles Sturt University's veterinary clinical centre.
A workforce gap this program fills
Regional NSW is facing a well-documented skilled-workforce shortage in animal care. Regional veterinary vacancies now take over 12 months to fill in 43% of cases — well above the 36.8% national rate — and there's currently no dedicated dog-walking service operating in the Wagga Wagga market at all.
Wagga Wagga also ranked 2nd in NSW for pet registrations in 2021/22, and the population is forecast to keep growing around 1% a year — meaning demand for qualified animal care professionals will only keep climbing.
Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Estimated Resident Population, Wagga Wagga City (June 2025) & Census 2021 household size; Animal Medicines Australia, "Pets in Australia" (2025); Wagga Wagga City Council (September 2022); NSW Parliament Legislative Council, Portfolio Committee No. 4, Report No. 58; Australian Veterinary Association 2023 Workforce Survey; local business listings compiled August 2026.
Join Us In Person
Register for Our Wagga Wagga Information Day
Meet our CEO and National Manager face-to-face, learn everything about studying animal care in Wagga Wagga, and get your questions answered — no online session required.
A casual, no-obligation info session where you'll hear directly from our team about the courses, local placement partners, and how to enrol.
Course commencement: Tuesday 24 November 2026. General enquiries: [email protected]
Register Your Interest
Reserve your spot at the Wagga Wagga Library information day, or enrol now to secure your place in the local cohort.
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Nationally recognised training under the ACM Animal Care and Management Training Package. Ask PIC for the current Student Handbook and fee schedule before enrolling.
Help Us Spread the Word in Wagga Wagga
If you work with students and jobseekers across the Wagga Wagga region, we'd love your help putting this opportunity in front of them. Join a short online session to see the full program, then share it with your network.
Note: these online sessions are for agencies and referral partners. Students should register for the face-to-face day above.
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