9 great animal careers

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.

Breeder
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 an animal. 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. Help is also needed to transport females to a male for breeding. Try www.breedersonline.com and www.catcraze.com.

Animal trainer
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. For behind-the-scenes work, it’s helpful to have a marketing background and office skills. See www.amazinganimalactors.com, www.animal-actors.com and www.hollywoodanimals.com.

Vet assistant
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.

Publisher
As a contributing free-lancer or staff writer for an animal publication, you can help educate the public on issues like what to watch for at holidays (those Thanksgiving scraps should not be passed onto Fido); night time safety (such as the newest reflective devices); how to anticipate a pet accidentally getting out of the house (there is microchip technology that can help ID your pet); and how to train against excessive barking. As you research more topics, you can find a writing niche. For example, one writer in central Pennsylvania found her calling as a pet activist and raises public awareness about animal-free products and animal legislation. The writing world is wide open.

There are animal magazines (www.dogbiz.com/form-dog-kennel-mag.htm), e-zines and Web sites (www.canismajor.com), newsletters, journals and government publications (www.saplonline.org), all looking for animal-related articles.

Animal organization leader
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 centre 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 (Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the AKC/Eukanuba American Dog Classic and the Cat Fanciers’ Association Cat Show, to name a few), all states hold competitions during the year.

Another way to get an “in” is through the various conference and convention sites that host the events. Inquire about temporary positions connected with the show.

Therapy environments
Animals can bring joy into the life of a terminally ill patient, a hospitalised 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.tdi-dog.org for an overview, and 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 behaviourists
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 behaviours, such as obsessive grooming. Behaviourists 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 behaviourist 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.

Be your own boss
Countless pet owners are gone from home 10 hours or more, between their workday and commuting time. Who’s going to walk and feed the dogs and kitties? Who’s there to spend time with lonely pets that wait for their owners most of the day? If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and there’s nobody in your community offering these services, it could be the 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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