Careers for animal lovers
Published on: Monday, August 23, 2021
By: K Krishnan
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All you need is a basic education and love for animals. If you have the passion for animals, you can also create your own business.
Let us look at Tan and John’s businesses.
Consider how they have used their passion for animals to start their own careers.
You too can create your own business if you love animals.
Example 1: Animal Hotel
Tan has an Animal Hotel. What is an animal hotel? Well, Pet owners who are going on a vacation usually are worried where to send their pets.
They often want their pets to be handled by caring animal caretakers. Good animal caretakers are hard to find.
People like Tan offer their services to pet owners.
They can house the animals in their animal hotel for as long as the owners’ want.
If you like working with animals, this is a unique career that you can also consider.
Example 2: Walk the dog
John provides a service where he takes dogs for a walk.
There are many pet owners who do not have the time to take their dogs for a walk regularly.
Especially people who live in apartments and condos have to take their pets for a walk in the mornings and evenings daily.
Those who are unable to find the time for their pets, engage someone who can take their pet for a walk.
They provide a service for pet owners.
In return they build their own business.
You can also create a business like Tan and John. You need to be creative. People who work with animals are animal caretakers.
Who are Animal Caretakers
Let us learn more about animal caretakers.
Generally animal caretakers attend to or train animals. They work with pets and other nonfarm animals.
These caretakers feed, groom, and exercise the animals or teach them to respond to human commands.
What do they do?
Animal caretakers typically do the following:
- Give food and water to animals
- Clean equipment and the living spaces of animals
- Monitor animals and record details of their diet, physical condition, and behavior
- Examine animals for signs of illness or injury
- Exercise animals
- Bathe animals, trim nails, clip hair, and attend to other grooming needs
- Train animals to obey or to behave in a specific manner
There are many career opportunities for animal caretakers.
The following are some of the careers for animal lovers:-
Animal Trainers
Animal trainers teach animals a variety of skills, such as obedience, performance, riding, security, and assisting people with disabilities.
They familiarise animals with human voices and contact, and they teach animals to respond to commands.
Most animal trainers work with dogs and horses, but some work with marine mammals, such as dolphins.
Trainers teach a variety of skills.
For example, some train dogs to guide people with disabilities, or they may train animals for a competition.
Groomers
Groomers specialise in maintaining a pet’s appearance.
They typically groom dogs and cats, which may include cutting, trimming, shampooing, and styling fur; clipping nails; and cleaning ears.
Groomers also schedule appointments, sell products to pet owners, and identify problems that may require veterinary attention.
Groomers may work in or operate a grooming salon, kennel, veterinary clinic, pet supply store, or mobile grooming service, a self-contained business that travels to clients’ homes.
Grooms
Grooms work at stables, caring for horses and maintaining equipment. Responsibilities include feeding, grooming, and exercising horses; cleaning stalls; polishing saddles; and organising the tack room, which stores harnesses, saddles, and bridles.
Experienced grooms sometimes help train horses.
Kennel Attendants
Kennel attendants care for pets, often overnight, in place of owners.
They clean cages and dog runs and feed, exercise, and play with animals.
Experienced attendants also may provide basic healthcare, bathe animals, and attend to other basic grooming needs.
Animal shelter attendants
Animal shelter attendants typically work with cats and dogs in animal shelters or rescue leagues.
These attendants take care of the animals’ basic needs and may have administrative duties, such as keeping records, answering questions from the public, educating visitors about pet health, and screening people who want to adopt an animal.
Experienced attendants may have more responsibilities, such as helping to vaccinate animals alongside a veterinarian.
Pet Sitters
Pet sitters look after animals while the pet owner is away.
Most pet sitters feed, walk, and play with pets daily.
They go to the pet owner’s home, allowing the pet to stay in its familiar surroundings and follow its routine.
Experienced pet sitters also may bathe, groom, or train pets.
Pet sitters typically watch over dogs, but some also take care of cats and other pets.
Zookeepers
Zookeepers care for animals in zoos.
They plan diets, feed animals, and monitor the animals’ eating patterns. They also clean the animals’ enclosures and monitor behaviour for signs of illness or injury.
Depending on the size of the zoo, they may work with one species or multiple species of animals.
Zookeepers may help raise young animals, and they often spend time answering questions from the public.
Where do they work?
Animal careworkers are employed in a variety of settings.
Many work at kennels; others work at zoos, stables, animal shelters, pet stores, veterinary clinics, and aquariums. Their work may involve travel.
Although animal care and service workers may consider their work enjoyable and rewarding, they face unpleasant and emotionally distressing situations at times.
For example, those who work in shelters may observe abused, injured, or sick animals.
Some caretakers may have to help veterinarians euthanize injured or unwanted animals.
In addition, a lot the work involves physical tasks, such as moving and cleaning cages, lifting bags of food, and exercising animals.
Injuries and Illnesses
Animal caretakers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations.
Animal care and service workers may be bitten, scratched, or kicked when working with scared or aggressive animals.
Injuries may also happen while the caretaker is holding, cleaning, or restraining an animal.
For further information
If you are interested in working with animals, a good place to start is the SPCA in Kota Kinabalu. Please visit their Facebook to know more about them.
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