Since there is a wide variety of careers in animal work, you might guess that there is also a wide variety of people who can fill those career slots. You would be right. From the veterinarian to the kennel attendant, from the shelter administrator to the records clerk, there is a job for you if you are committed at some level to the care, protection, healing, or general welfare of animals, or if you want to educate others in these areas.
The Making of an Animal Lover
Where do animal lovers come from -- from your own backyard? The animal lover may have been the girl who always brought home a stray dog or cat for "just one meal" and kept the homeless waif for twenty years. Or he might have been the boy who would rather take nature walks or hike through the woods than go to the movies. Maybe the animal lover was the high school student who loved biology, zoology, or chemistry courses or who always went to cat or dog shows on weekends--or maybe the girl whose room was filled with stuffed animals because she couldn't have a real pet.
Other people live a longer time before they realize that they are animal lovers. It may strike them when, at 30 years old, they get their first pet dog, cat, bird, or fish. Or maybe a friend persuaded them to go bird watching one weekend and they find themselves bird watching every day from then on. Or they may realize that people in their neighborhood come to them when their pets are sick or injured. Still others spend their leisure time training the neighbors' dogs, even though they make their living as insurance salespeople, stockbrokers, or truck drivers.
Is Working with Animals Really for You?
If you have any of these symptoms or fit into any of these categories, you may be suited to a career in animal work. If you are still not sure, you might ask yourself these questions:
- Do I genuinely care about the welfare of animals?
- Am I willing to work long hours doing stressful work?
- Can I live on a modest income?
- Am I willing to go through years of education and/or training?
- Do I like to work with people?
- Do I have physical and mental strength and energy?
- Can I exercise good judgment and solve problems under difficult circumstances?
- Am I reliable, sensitive, compassionate, and empathetic?
- Do I have good organizational and communication skills?
- Am I willing to relocate to areas where jobs are available?
If you were able to answer "yes" to all of these questions, you are ready to explore the many careers available in animal work.
Types of Careers in Animal Work
The next step is to choose the type of work that best suits you and to be honest with yourself about your philosophy regarding the care and treatment of animals. You will also have to decide whether you want to work in the private or public sector and how much time you are willing to devote to training and education.
Some jobs will allow you to work directly with animals and make important decisions about their health and welfare, life and death. Others will require you to enforce laws regarding their safety, or to keep records on their vital statistics, or to see to it that they behave well or are properly nourished.
You may decide that your talents lie in painting, photographing, or writing about animals. You could decide to exhibit those works in your own gallery or magazine. Or you may create a whole new category of career based on your own particular talents and the animal needs you identify. You have a wide range of choices to explore.
Veterinarian
When most people think of a medical caretaker, they think of the local "vet." Whenever the family dog or cat gets sick or needs altering or spaying, the person we call to make things better is the veterinarian. Veterinarians in private practice are in every community to help protect the health and well-being of pets and to educate the owners on proper pet care and nutrition.
Veterinarians are also found in zoos and aquariums, in the classroom, in research laboratories, in regulatory agencies, in public health facilities, in the armed forces, in scientific agencies, and in wildlife management. They can also practice in humane shelters, at racetracks, on fur ranches, and at circuses. Some write pet advice columns for newspapers or magazines, conduct informational television shows, or prepare videotapes on the care or training of animals.
Veterinary Technician
Working alongside the veterinarian is the veterinary technician (commonly known as a vet tech). These animal workers are licensed and can prepare animals for surgery and administer anesthetics under the supervision of the veterinarian. These technicians often have degrees in biology or zoology and are the most highly skilled assistants to the veterinarian.
Animal Attendant
Animal, or kennel, attendants maintain the animals on an everyday basis by feeding and watering them, cleaning their cages or stalls, and washing their food dishes. They also watch for changes in behavior as possible symptoms of disease. They exercise the animals and check their environment for safety.
Therapist
Other caretakers work with the animal's personality problems in order to correct behavioral disorders, such as temperament, incompatibility with other animals, and destructive tendencies. They generally work in private practice or clinics, but because this is a fairly new field, they may routinely be employed at shelters, zoos, aquariums, and racetracks in the future.
Protective Agencies
Many animal lovers go into animal work to provide shelter, to protest abuse, to educate the public about the needs and rights of animals, and to help protect endangered species. Protective agencies deal with both domesticated animals and wildlife, in cities and in rural areas. Protective agencies employ both paid administrative and clerical staff and also rely heavily on volunteers.
Trainer
Trainers of both domesticated and wild animals have the skills to teach animals to obey their commands. They are employed by pet owners, by the police or military, by movie and television producers, guide dog services, zoos, circuses, aquariums, and racetracks.
Groomer
Groomers often are also kennel operators and pet suppliers. Some also board and train animals. They usually confine their businesses to dogs, although some groom cats, too. Grooming service includes clipping nails, cleaning ears and teeth, bathing, clipping and trimming, and brushing and combing. Supplies sold at groomers' shops include collars, flea products, food, brushes, and combs.
Pet Sales and Service
If you want to specialize in selling pet products, you will have to love pets, including dogs, cats, fish, and birds, and should enjoy dealing with and advising pet owners. Store owners know something about pet behavior, nutritional needs, play needs, and habitat.
Zoos
Many career opportunities exist in zoos, including zoo director, curator, veterinarian, veterinary technician, and zoologist. Zoos also employ curators of exhibits, research, and education. Many zoos also have business managers and staff for the public relations department and gift shop, in addition to clerical workers.
Aquariums
Aquariums are generally headed by a director and often an assistant director. Most will also employ a general curator and specific curators for different collections. Veterinarians may be on the staff or be on call as needed. Aquariums also hire aquarists (aquarium zoologists) and librarians.
Creative Careers
Creative career possibilities in animal work range from pet and wildlife artist to writer, designer, and photographer. Illustrators are needed to prepare exhibits, charts, teaching aids, textbook designs, magazines, and educational programs. Photographers show their own work or sell to magazines and book publishers. Other artists specialize in pet portraits or paintings of wildlife.
Writers are employed by magazines and book publishers. They may write for children, adults, or specialists. Other creative people build cat condominiums or elaborate dog houses.
Pet Sitters and Pet Walkers
Pet sitting is a fast-growing industry because so many people own pets and because many two-income families are taken away from the home more often on business trips. You can be a pet sitter full-time or part-time. You will be expected to take care of dogs, cats, birds, and fish, as well as ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, and snakes. Many pet sitters also water plants, walk the dogs, bring in the mail, and make security checks on the homes of the people who are away.
Pet Transporter
Some pet shop owners or kennel operators have branched out into the pet transport industry. This usually includes taxi service to and from the airport, but could include trips to the veterinarian or other health-related trips. The airport pickup and delivery service is especially helpful when the owner must arrive home after the pet. Transporters will often provide a boarding service for the pet until the owner arrives home.
Ornithologist
Bird lovers can find careers in research, education, and administration. Professional ornithologists work in universities and colleges, in state or federal agencies, in museums, and for conservation and consulting organizations.
Conservation and Wildlife Management
Both state and federal agencies employ workers in wildlife research, biology, habitat management, and population monitoring and management, or as fish and game wardens and interpreters. Private associations and not-for-profit agencies dealing with wildlife employ directors, legal counsel, corporate planning officers, financial officers, training directors, fundraisers, and membership and publications directors.
U.S. Department of the Interior
Jobs with the federal government are often scarce, but opportunities exist for biological science professionals and wildlife refuge managers. Others can work in interpretive or educational programs or as a special wildlife agent to investigate and enforce fish and wildlife laws.
Various administrative, clerical, and secretarial positions are available through the Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as openings for special program workers. Some fishing and wildlife technicians are also employed as well as equipment operators and craftspeople and maintenance technicians.
Animal-Related Businesses
In addition to being a pet shop owner, breeder, product salesperson, or feed supplier, which we are all familiar with other opportunities for businesses related to animals exist and offer seemingly endless possibilities. They range from leading safaris in Africa to selling gourmet foods to "yuppy" puppies, from running pet insurance companies to pet cemeteries, from practicing cat astrology to tattoo registry, from renting guard dogs to jog with clients in the park to providing retired racing animals to private owners. According to your business experience or inclination, market needs, and changes in popular tastes, you can fairly well invent, contrive, combine, and create a new career track. Only your imagination (and perhaps a few local ordinances!) will limit you in your pursuit of the perfect career.
Responsibilities and Qualifications
Since there is such a wide range of possibilities in animal-related careers, qualifications, salaries, benefits, and responsibilities vary according to the job. Some jobs with animals are strictly administrative, such as the director of a shelter, and will be involved only in the broadest, most educational way with animal caretaking. On the other hand, veterinarians, technicians, attendants, and trainers work directly with the animals. Some careers require a high degree of education and training while others require very little or no previous experience in the field.
How to Get Further Training and Experience
It is always a good idea for anyone considering animal work-what' ever your age, education, or experience-to volunteer or work part-time at a shelter, horse farm, boarding kennel, or wildlife facility before you make your final decision. Or you may want to work on a farm, ranch, or in a stable during your summer break from school or on your vacation-just to get a feel for the job.
Many facilities will be glad to open their doors to you for guided tours, informational interviews, or videotape presentations on careers in their field. Or they may have publications, such as pamphlets or brochures, for distribution to the public. Public libraries and bookstores also have specialized books, pamphlets, and videotapes available to you for study. These include the Encyclopedia of Associations and the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Your reference librarian will point you in the right direction.
Magazines specializing in cats, dogs, fish, birds, and wildlife can be found at public libraries, bookstores, and newsstands. Some specialize in care and training; others, in painting or photography of animals.
Dog trainers, kennel operators, and breeders may hire part-time help during their busy seasons. You should apply for these jobs to see if you are really suited to a lifetime career in the field.
Your local telephone directory and professional organizations will provide you with names and addresses of people to contact for specific information on education, training, and general qualifications required for their individual area of expertise. Advertisements in animal-related publications supply names and addresses of schools and training facilities that will help you launch your career. You should make sure that the facility at which you get your training is accredited or approved by the national professional association in your field.
Now it's up to you. You started out with the basic symptoms of loving animals and now it's time to do something about it. To make sure of the direction you're heading into, let's take a look at some more specific questions about your attitudes that will help you make up your mind about a possible career with animals.
- I definitely want to work directly with animals.
- I am willing to devote several more years to my education so that I can become a highly skilled professional.
- I prefer to work with:
- cats and dogs
- horses, fish, or birds
- wild animals
- farm animals
- I prefer a steady office job with standard benefits.
- I want to help enforce the laws concerning animal welfare.
- I do my best work when I'm managing other people and seeing that things run smoothly.
- I am really good at typing, filing, answering telephone calls, and dealing with the public.
- I have always been able to make animals listen to me and do what I tell them.
- I have a very good business head and have entrepreneurial inclinations.
- I want to write about animals with other creative people, such as artists, designers, photographers, and illustrators.
If your answer is "yes" to many of these questions, and if any of the possibilities mentioned in this article intrigue you, you're ready to go further in your exploration of careers in animal work. There is, truly, something for everyone--if they have the right symptoms!
