Most people love animals, but some want to take their love even farther. Sure, many love their pets and help feed stray or wild animals on occasion, because they are good hearted people, but for those that have more time and determination, this will prove insufficient. Some people want to volunteer or work in the field of animal care in order to increase an animal?s well being and become a voice for the voiceless. If you are such a person, then you are in luck, as there is a lot of room and demand for people like yourself.
Many people probably think of animal shelters and animal rights groups when they hear the words ?animal care?, but while it is true that both of these are part of this group, the term has a much more extensive meaning, and is much more inclusive than some might think. Basically, almost anything that contributes to an animal?s well being can be considered animal care. Whether you are working in a veterinary clinic, a pet shop, an animal pharmacy, a zoo or an animal shelter, you are actively contributing to the well being of many animals that you come in contact with. Even being a dog or cat sitter is a beneficial activity for many animals.
Some people have busy schedules, so they might be discouraged from adopting a pet from a shelter. However, thanks to the services that pet sitters provide, this is no longer a concern, as owners will have someone to look after their animal while they are off to work or on business trips. Thus, more people will be encouraged to adopt pets, which means a lot to a lonely animal that spends its time in a shelter. The more kindness one offers, the more it will spread. This works both for humans and animals.
It is no wonder why working with animals is such a popular job. The world is filled with animal lovers. But how do you get a job in animal care? What are the requirements and so on? Well, finding a proper job in animal care is no longer hard thanks to the internet. There are many online sites and even campaigns that are dedicated to recruiting people and directing them to an animal care job.
Some jobs, like being a zookeeper or a veterinary, will obviously require that you are educated in the field, in order to be properly qualified for them. Other jobs however, require little qualifications or much experience, and can be learned on the fly. Before you are ready to commit however, try and become a volunteer first, in order to see if you are fit for what is to come. While you may not need qualifications for some jobs, qualities such as patience and kindness are necessary when dealing with most animals. Even better, if you don?t feel you are prepared to handle animals directly, you can always work at the call center, in the PR department or hand out leaflets.
There are many animal care jobs available today, so if you are interested in joining, now is the best time in the world to apply for a position in the field.
Working In An Animal Care Center ? An Overview Of The Job
Working in an animal care center is a job for truly dedicated animal lovers and comes with benefits on many levels. First of all, you will be directly involved in helping the creatures that you love, which is probably the most compassionate, unconditioned and humane thing you can do. You will be a part of a team formed by like-minded people, who love animals, just like you, and are dedicated to helping them. All these will likely provide a particular sense of satisfaction, which will bring with it other benefits, such as lowering stress levels and boosting your mood and self-esteem.
Working in an animal center can mean a lot of things: feeding and grooming the animals, keeping them healthy and socialized, answering the phones and the messages, updating the database, arranging meetings with prospective pet owners, getting involved in charitable causes etc. Some of these activities are exciting, others are repetitive, but really nothing compares to when a loving pet stays healthy and happy or receives a forever home - and you have been the intermediary all along the way! Not to mention that this job keeps you very active.
Job description Working in an animal care center can be a full-time or a part-time job; most job opportunities in this field are part-time, but statistics show that they will keep growing with more than 20% next year, so the future sounds pretty good.
Animal care workers include different types of caretakers, groomers, trainers etc. ? in other words, people who deal with all the aspects of an animal's life. They work directly with the animals and are there when they are needed. The job itself is not dangerous although it involves risks and requires some special precautions, considering that some animals may bite, sting or kick.
Do you need a specific education to work in animal care?
Not necessarily, however, the answer depends on what position you are looking for. In order to be able to accomplish most tasks in animal care, you will do just fine with a high school diploma. But if you are going to work in specific facilities, with potentially dangerous or exotic animals that require special care, you will have to go through more specific training in animal care. For example, at zoos, they typically hire animal care technicians; in order to become one, you will need a bachelor`s degree in a related field such as animal science, biology etc. At marine centers, you may need a degree in marine animal science.
How much can you earn for doing this job?
This also depends - mostly on experience and location - but the average pay is around $8-10 per hour.
Are there any career paths?
Working in animal care is not exactly about building a career, but having a very rewarding job. However, you will definitely start at the bottom (cleaning all kind of living quarters) and get your way up to other activities (mixing food, grooming, training etc.), as you get more accustomed to everything that is involved in animal care.
