So, you want to work with pets?

Love animals? Looking to find a career that involves working with pets? Look no further. Here’s a guide to some of the jobs involving our furry friends.

There are many options when it comes to working with pets, from grooming, training, and pet sitting to dog walking, wildlife warrior and vet. While it’s wonderful there are so many options, it can also be overwhelming. Here’s a look at some of the many jobs you can get working with pets and animals.

Jobs that involve working with pets and animals

Working with pets and animals can be challenging but also very rewarding. There are jobs that can help you transition between school and university or roles that can be the basis of a fruitful career.

Of course, working with pets and animals isn’t all fun and games; it can be dirty, messy, laborious work. Nonetheless, if you have the passion and the right skills, it can be a fantastic career choice. To get you started, here just some of the long list of jobs you can explore.

Animal shelter attendant

For those looking to work with different animals, the job as an animal shelter attendant can be hugely rewarding. Your job will be to keep these animals clean and comfortable during their time at the shelter, while also helping them to find their forever home.

Your duties may include: cleaning cages, scrubbing cat boxes, exercising the animals, bathing the animals, as well as preparing and delivering their food.

Other responsibilities may include customer service and administration, assisting on-site vets, managing animal pickups and deliveries and handling donations.

You may be required to meet and interview potential new pet parents to make sure they have the resources to care for the animal. You may also be required to perform a home visit to ensure the animal will be placed in a safe and loving environment.

Find out more about the role of an animal shelter attendant.

Equine vet

Unlike a traditional veterinarian who cares for all animals, an equine vet specialises in horses. If you embark on a career as an equine vet you will learn everything there is to know about horses. This includes their behaviour, welfare, nutrition, health, reproduction, rehabilitation, exercise needs and physiology.

As an equine vet, there are many work opportunities. This includes working in private practice, mixed veterinary practice, specialist referral centres, academia, research, and the racing and show industries.

If you have a passion for horses this can be a hugely rewarding and inspiring career, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. You can get involved in breeding, preventative medicine and even equine dental care.

To really succeed as an equine vet you need the dedication to study hard as well as excellent communication skills. You need good maths and English, as well as a love of the outdoors and getting your hands dirty!

Want a job working with pets? Does this sound like the perfect career for you?

Pet sitter

If you adore animals of all shapes and sizes working as a pet sitter may be the perfect job for you. As a pet sitter, you can work for yourself or for a company. Either way, you’ll get paid for looking after our furry friends, which is awesome if you have a genuine passion for working with pets.

Of course, pet sitting isn’t all furry fun, particularly when you’re running your own show. You must be organized (you’ll be managing your own schedule), have excellent communication skills, have a good level of knowledge when it comes to basic pet care and first aid, and be able to offer a degree of flexibility.

In most instances, pet sitting isn’t a nine-to-five job, although if you work for yourself you can set your own hours to a degree. What’s more, it might not always be a huge earner.

Certainly pet sitting can be hard work and a big responsibility, but if you really do love pets and enjoy meeting new people it can be a fantastic job.

Pet groomer

When it comes to working with pets, pet grooming is high up on the list of suitable jobs. Plus, with more pet owners treating their pets like little people, it’s likely the demand for groomers will rise.

So what does pet grooming actually entail? To become a pet grooming professional you’ll need to gain the necessary qualifications to safety cut, bath and groom our four-legged friends.

You’ll need to have your wits about you to avoid bites and injuries, as well as knowing how to handle different dog behaviours. Spending long days on your feet can be challenging too, so you’ll need to be physically fit and active. You also need to like people, not just pets!

You might think that working with pets is all about animals, which is true to a degree, but you must be able to effectively communicate with pet parents too. Ultimately, it’s a service industry, so you must be polite and professional at all times.

Fancy becoming a pet groomer? Check out the qualities you need to succeed in the pet-grooming world.

What’s your ultimate dream when it comes to working with pets?