Jobs for People Who Love Animals

The past year has seen more people than ever looking for new jobs. There are countless reasons for this, but the main one tends to be that people are searching for a new role as a direct result of the coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic. This pandemic has seen governments around the world implement rules, regulations and guidelines encouraging people to stay home as much as possible. For some time, many people have actually been put into lockdown, where they can only leave the house for essentials, such as food or medicine. The aim of this? To slow and minimise the spread of the virus, saving lives, keeping the nation safe, and reducing the number of people taking up capacity in local healthcare facilities. Of course, while having many benefits, these same guidelines have left many businesses unable to operate. This has meant that many have had to go bust, resulting in mass unemployment.

Many have made essential redundancies. Many employers have had to offer their staff shorter working hours or less pay in a bid to get by. As you can imagine, this has seen unemployment levels skyrocket. On top of this, many people have decided that they want a career that they actually enjoy. Time off work or during furloughed periods has given people a chance to reflect on their usual lives and to determine what changes they want to make to lead happier day-to-day existences. If you love animals, chances are, you’ve considered working with them. Here are just a few roles that you might want to look into that could provide you with an income while spending time with some of the best creatures on this earth!

A Vet

A brilliant way to help animals and make a good income at the same time is to look into veterinarian jobs. Being a vet gives you the chance to work directly with animals on a day-to-day basis. Not only this, but you can help them, save their lives and generally ensure that they are doing well. Of course, this role is something you’ll need to work hard to gain access to! Taking responsibility over the care and treatment of animals requires in-depth knowledge, as well as years of training. To get your foot in the door, you’re going to have to complete a degree in veterinary science, which will generally take five years of full-time study. If you already have experience in a similar subject, you may be able to reduce this by taking a graduate entry course, which reduces the overall study time to four years (full time). You can then practice at a registered facility, set up your own facility or you may even want to start specialising in treating specific animals, such as horses, farm animals, or exotic animals.

Pet Store

Another great way to interact with animals regularly within your role is to work in a pet store. Of course, stores that actually sell pets should generally be avoided, as often, the animals are not treated all too well in these places. Even if staff try, they generally have cramped conditions and are left alone for long periods of time while the store is closed. Instead, search for a pet store that sells pet products. You will find yourself selling everything from chew toys to scratching posts to treats, pet food, pet grooming products, and more. People may bring their pets in and you get to engage with them, making recommendations for products that will suit them down to a tee.

Dog Groomer

The popularity of dogs who need regular grooming is on the rise. This has seen pet grooming businesses become increasingly in demand and skyrocket in popularity. Becoming a dog groomer gives you the chance to handle and play with dogs all day, every day. To become a dog groomer, it’s recommended that you take a specialist training course that will cover all of the basics, from washing to cutting fur, drying dogs safely, and other essentials, such as safe nail clipping. Remember that this can be a difficult job at times. Not all dogs enjoy being groomed, so it’s a good idea to place a muzzle on unwilling pooches to ensure you don’t get any bites. Popular dogs that require grooming you can expect to interact with regularly include poodles, bichon frises, lhasa apsos and mixed breeds, often with curly fur.

Rescue Homes and Animal Sanctuaries

Unfortunately, not everyone is kind to domestic animals and wild animals can experience injury or illness that they wouldn’t survive in the wild. This is where rescue homes and animal sanctuaries come into play. These types of facilities are in place to directly care for animals in need. Rescue homes tend to deal with domesticated pets, such as dogs and cats, whose owners can no longer care for them, or who have been abandoned. Animal sanctuaries tend to deal with wildlife, such as pigeons, ducks, geese, foxes, hedgehogs, mice, and more. These facilities will require different qualifications and experience for different roles, so it’s worth getting in touch with ones in your local area to request further information on what roles would be suitable for you, or what qualifications and training you’ll need to undertake to be considered for a position.

Animal Charities

There are also many animal charities out there. These work to help animals in various different ways. The WWF (World Wildlife Fund) seeks to create one world where humans and animals can live in harmony. They protect iconic, endangered animals through their work. Save the Elephants work to protect wild elephants from threats such as poachers. The Dogs Trust gathers funds to keep strays and abandoned dogs until they can be rehomed or fostered. The RSPCA seeks to save animals who are being abused or neglected in domestic settings. The list goes on. There are, of course, countless roles within these businesses, from hands-on work with animals to marketing, advertising, graphic design, and more.

While these are just a few suggestions, each is an extremely brilliant option for anyone interested in working with animals and helping animals. Hopefully, they’ve helped to get the ball rolling on your new career path!