How to Work With Animals

If you love animals, you can make a career out of working with them. From small, caged animals like rabbits and gerbils to large, farm animals such as cows and horses, there are careers that involve every type of animal. Read on to learn how to work with animals.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Love for animals

1. Consider a career as a veterinarian. As a vet, you can specialize in particular types of animal such as household pets or farm animals, or you can work instead as a general veterinarian. If you opt for this career, you will need to complete significant schooling. A college degree is usually required, and you'll absolutely need to get your D.V.M. (Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine) degree. This is generally a four-year program that includes hands-on training via residency programs.

2. Think about a career as an animal adoption counselor. These counselors help to place pets with families. As an adoption counselor, you must learn and consider the desires of the families as well as the pets. Your job would be to make an ideal match between the pets up for adoption and the families that want them.

3. Choose a career in animal management. You could become a humane society director, the person responsible for the entire operation of a humane society. You would have to manage donations to the society as well as the programs within it. You could also choose a shelter management career. You would then be responsible for all the day-to-day operations of an animal shelter, including adoption procedures and animal care.

4. Protect animals with a career as a cruelty investigator. In this job, you would research complaints about animal abuse or neglect. As a cruelty investigator, you would likely work closely with animal shelters, the humane society and the local police department. You will need training in investigative practices as well as basic law enforcement training, as many animal cruelty investigators arrest people when necessary.

5. Work as an animal caretaker. You would care for animals on a daily basis, at either a humane society, shelter or other animal facility. Animal care attendants often specialize in a particular type of animal. Duties include feeding, walking and cleaning up after the animals.

6. Volunteer at various animal facilities. Humane societies and shelters are always in need of volunteer workers. You can get a good sense of the various jobs by first volunteering in a particular medium. If you like the work there, you can then take further steps to pursue a career in the field. Many veterinarian offices will also accept volunteers.

Tips & Warnings

• If you would like to become a veterinarian but don't want the intensive schooling, consider a career as a veterinary technician. You would assist vets and still work with animals directly, however, the schooling required is not nearly as intensive.
• If you work with animals every day, be aware that you will sometimes see animals in discomfort.

Resources

• Humane Society of the United States
• Animal Shelter website