About Small Animal Care Courses
Working with Animals
If you enjoy being around animals, you should
consider a career working with them.
Working with animals is among today’s most rewarding
careers. You’ll be responsible for their health and
well-being, whether you’re tending to their health,
cleaning their environment, or educating other people about
them.
Where could I get a job working with
animals?
As animals and pets become more popular than ever, the animal
job market continues to grow, providing room for advancing
in your chosen industry.
To get you started, here are some
job paths involving animals.
Working in a veterinary surgery
A good place to begin is your local veterinary surgery.
Vets often hire veterinary assistants to help with day-to-day
tasks. For this position, you need a love of animals and
knowledge of animal care.
As a veterinary assistant, you’ll take on a variety
of activities. You may work at the front desk, behind the
scenes, in the examination rooms, or a combination of each.
Your duties may include scheduling appointments, checking
customers in and out of the office, and answering the phone.
You might also feed and water the animals that have been
kept overnight, or clean the kennels. Or
you might perform initial examinations, such as taking weight
and filling in charts. Patience and compassion are essential,
especially when dealing with sick or injured pets and their
owners.
Within the veterinary world, there’s opportunity to
move up from assistant to vet nurse or office manager. When
you advance to these positions, you take on more responsibility
and become more specialised in your work. Break into this
exciting and growing field by taking courses in animal care
and securing a job as a veterinary assistant.
Working at a kennel or shelter
Kennels and shelters also require hands-on involvement with
animals. Kennels and shelters deal primarily with small animals
such as dogs and cats, but each place is different.
Typically,
a kennel cares for animals temporarily, while the animal’s
owner is away from home. People who work in a kennel are
often responsible for providing the animals with food, water,
exercise and a clean cage or pen. They must also keep an
eye on the animals’ health and well-being, and are
often required to keep records.
A position within a kennel
may also include interacting with customers to agree the
animals’ arrival and departure dates and special requests.
Animal shelters also house animals; however, they tend to
specifically cater for lost or homeless pets. At a shelter,
workers are responsible for caring for the animals. They
provide meals, exercise and a clean environment to animals
in need.
Perhaps most significantly, animal shelter employees
offer companionship to homeless animals. Employees of an
animal shelter may also work to educate the public, find
adoptive homes for animals, and keep accurate records.
Working in a zoo
If wild animals are more your taste, consider working at
a zoo or game reserve. As a zoo keeper, you’ll be
taking care of the animals and their habitat. You may prepare
and serve food as well as maintain their water supply.
You might also take care of their living space by cleaning
and making repairs as needed.
Moreover, you’ll be responsible for checking in on
the animal, and taking note of its health and behaviour.
Zoo keepers often assist veterinarians or trainers with their
visits. At a zoo, you might also spend time with the public,
providing education. A background in animal care and attention
to detail are necessary for working as a zoo keeper.
As you
gain more experience at a zoo, you’ll be given more
responsibility and opportunity for further specialisation.
Working at a pet store
Pet stores also provide employment opportunities with animals.
At a pet store, you’ll take care of the animals’ basic
needs before they are sold. You’ll need to work with
customers, providing them with advice and information on
pets and products.
In any animal-related work environment, you should always
expect the unexpected. Each animal is unique and responds
differently to situations, which means that workers must
remain alert at all times. However, this aspect of chance
assures that animal workers experience something new everyday,
preventing a dull work life.
What skills do I need to work with animals?
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Jobs with animals often require varying
degrees of physical labour. Workers are often on their feet for long amounts
of time. Sometimes they lift cages, restrain animals
or clean messes. A reasonable amount of strength and stamina
is expected of most animal workers.
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Working with animals also demands emotional
strength.
You may encounter an ill or injured animal, and you shouldn't
let your emotions take over. You should remain calm
and patient, especially in times of stress. Animals respond
best to those who know when to be quiet and respectful.
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Many of the jobs with animals require contact
with the public. So you need to be confident and knowledgeable in
animal care. You may have to advise people on how to handle
issues with their pets. You may also have to educate people
on different animal-related topics.
If you’re naturally an animal person, these challenges
only make a job with animals more rewarding. You can rest
assured that you're making a positive impact in the lives
of others through your dedication and work with animals.
Preparing for a career in animal care
To prepare for a career that entails working with animals,
consider taking a course in animal care. Courses will give
you the knowledge and confidence you need to competitively
enter the animal job market. However, going to college can
be time consuming and stressful, especially if you’re
already working at another job.
One option is to register
on a distance learning course. Through a course in animal
care, you can complete your studies in your free time without
sacrificing your everyday life.
Regardless of which job with animals you choose, prepare
for an exciting career. Few fields offer as many challenges
and rewards as working with animals.
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