Animal Care and Management

Animal Care and Management focuses on aquaculture, equine science and exotic and domestic animal care. Students will learn animal handling and restraint techniques, behavior, safety issues, animal weights and measures, transport and sanitation. During these hands-on courses, students may care for and handle reptiles, horses, birds of prey and other small domestic species and will prepare and distribute food and clean enclosures.  
 
View the video about this program  
 
Upon completion of this certificate program, students are prepared to work in:  
• Pet and feed stores  
• Animal shelters  
• Rescue facilities  
• Entry level positions at zoos  
• Self-employment positions in the pet care industry  
 
Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary Partnership  
An established partnership with the Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary will give students the opportunity to directly apply their knowledge to real life situations during labs and field trips.  
 
Animal Care and Management courses are offered on the Chino Valley Campus. Select courses are hybrid and include both a classroom/lab and online component.  
 
Aquaculture Courses  
Aquaculture & Fisheries Management courses are now offered through the Animal Care and Management Certificate. Aquaculture courses teach students the skills needed to pursue further education in the aquaculture and fisheries industries as culturists, biologists, nutritionists, processors, hatchery managers or research specialists.  
 
Yavapai College is one of only 10 community colleges with aquaculture training facilities in the United States. The facilities include large-scale commercial tilapia production tanks, trout-rearing raceways, fresh-water prawn tanks and a recreational lake containing large mouth bass, bluegill and minnows. Aquaculture & Fisheries Management classes are offered at the Chino Valley Agribusiness & Science Technology Campus and the Verde Valley Campus.