10 great animal jobs

If you have a passion for working with the furry and fluffy members of society, your options are at least as varied as the dogs in the Westminster Kennel Club’s dog show (that would be 159 recognized breeds).
Regardless of where you live—city, country, mountains or coast—even if you have never worked with another species as an undergrad, you can find an “in” to be a pup’s or pussycat’s best friend.
In an overwhelming number of cases, your undergraduate degree should be sufficient for entry-level, assistant and office positions. That, and a lot of love and compassion. Shelter and rescue-center workers consider working in a place that gives animals a roof over their heads and a place they can call home. Shelters and rescue facilities employ animal lovers in different roles. Besides office work, there are cages to clean, animals to feed and pets to walk. Shelters need “matchmakers” who will interview people who want to adopt to make sure pets go to good homes. For information about shelters and rescue groups, check out www.petnet.net.

Breeders
Breeder assistants help care for animals on a day-to-day basis. They might take animals to the vet to attend to the breed’s specific health needs. (Australian Shepherds, for example, require annual visits to a certified animal ophthalmologist.) In this type of position, you might also screen potential clients who wish to purchase animals. Breeders check character and vet references to make sure the customer’s current pets are well cared for and to ensure the pedigreed animal will receive obedience training. Try www.breeders online.com and www.catcraze.com.

Animal trainers
Animal trainers book their animals in television and movies as well as commercials and print media (think magazine advertisements and billboards). Often, they work exclusively with people from within the industry, but persistence pays off for those entry-level spots. Four-legged actors and actresses need to be handled on and off camera, taken for walks during breaks and groomed prior to filming. When multiple animals are involved, making sure they get along is an important job, too. See www.amazinganimalactors.com, www.animal-actors.com and www.hollywoodanimals.com.

Kennel employees
Some say you need more than two hands for this one. The reception area is responsible for scheduling, and intake in this case isn’t as easy as it might seem. Animals require a lot of time for the full treatment: flea bath, grooming, drying and little extras like nail clipping and ear cleaning. A calm but firm manner comes in handy for the actual grooming, as some “clients” might not be accustomed to being handled. Or maybe they hate the sound of the dryer. Other critters are anxious about their owners leaving and will bark or mew for their whole stay. Groomers and other animal-care specialists can find more information at www.petgroomer.com and www.petco.com.

Vet assistants
The advantage here is on-the-job training. Busy vets will have you involved in almost every aspect of animal care, from writing up patient charts to assisting with shots, administering medicine orally and doing simple tests, such as tear-duct or stool sampling. Financially, the next step up would be a veterinary technician, for which specialized schooling is necessary. A large practice might consider paying your way. Check out www.aphis. usda.gov and www.fifi-inc.com.

Animal control officers
Job requirements vary by state, so be prepared for several weeks of training after you graduate. You could be investigating cases of animal fighting (a felony in many places), removing a threatening animal from a neighborhood or issuing fines to owners whose dog keeps up the neighbors. Animals that are confiscated in the course of an arrest, especially attack dogs, need to be brought to the local shelter for quarantine. Check out National Animal Control Association (www.nacanet.org) for more information.

Publishers
As a contributing free-lancer or staff writer for an animal publication, you can help educate the public on such issues as nighttime safety, how to anticipate a pet getting out of the house and how to train against excessive barking. As you research more topics, you can find a writing niche. One writer in central Pennsylvania found her calling as a pet activist and raises public awareness about animal-free products and animal legislation. There are animal magazines, e-zines and Web sites, newsletters, journals and government publications publications looking for animal-related articles.

Animal organization leaders
The biggie for canines is the American Kennel Club (www.akc.org). This organization regulates shows and competitions and employs more than 400 people between the New York headquarters and the operations center in North Carolina. Plus, 50 AKC field officers travel throughout the United States to conduct kennel audits and look into other judge inquiries. Aside from the big shows, all states hold competitions during the year. Inquire about temporary positions connected with the show.

Therapy environments
Animals can bring joy into the life of a terminally ill patient, a hospitalized child or a disaster victim. Many facilities and institutions around the country have animal-assisted therapy programs. You can start with the hospitals and school districts near you (try www.superdog.com for information on what’s available in different states). See if your local hospital, hospice, nonprofit organization or school district needs help administering such programs. Guide dogs and other helping roles Animals that help people with disabilities can act as our eyes and ears, help give mobility to a wheelchair-bound individual and alert others when their owners have a seizure. Look at www.caninecompanions.org and www.iaadp.org. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (www.ada.gov), there are regulations about where and when individuals can bring assistance animals.

Animal behaviorists
Pets go through separation anxiety and experience fear of thunderstorms and other loud noises. They can also have anti-social reactions, such as biting and soiling in the house, and neurotic behaviors, such as obsessive grooming. Behaviorists help owners solve these types of problems and are also involved in obedience training. A background in psychology and/or education would be appropriate for the assistant behaviorist jobs that are available with larger practices. The retail industry is also devoted to marketing training devices and accessories, such as invisible fences and no-bark collars. See www.animalbehaviorcounselors.org.

Entrepreneurs
Countless pet owners are gone from home 10 hours or more. Who’s going to walk and feed the dogs and kitties? Who’s there to spend time with lonely pets? If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and there’s nobody in your community offering these services, it could become your perfect niche. Another idea: become a pet chauffeur to help the elderly and infirm and others who don’t drive get their pets to and from vet appointments. Take a look at www.pet-sitters.biz and www.petride.com.

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