Half of US pet owners consider their pets as much a part of the family as human family members.

If you’re a pet lover, you don’t have to restrict your animal interaction to the home. There are plenty of employment opportunities out there that allow you to work with animals. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more fulfilling way to make money than with animal jobs.

Today, we’ll help you find the perfect career path by telling you 5 animal jobs you’ll love. Keep reading and turn your love of animals into your livelihood.

Puppy sleeping in someone's arms.

1. Veterinarian

Let’s start with one of the most gratifying (and high-paying) animal jobs. Being an animal doctor requires a lot of training – 4 years of schooling, followed by a doctorate and a state exam – but you’ll be working with people’s pets all day, every day.

You’ll mostly be dealing with people’s cats and dogs, but you may end up working with more exotic animals as well. Those who don’t have years of schooling and training in them can opt to become veterinary technicians or assistants, which give you just as much exposure to animals.

2. Conservation Officer

Human action affects wildlife in hugely negative ways. As we expand our cities and continue to pillage ecosystems, the plants and animals suffer. For that reason, conservation work is more important than ever before.

Being a conservation officer involves a mixture of field, lab, and office work. You may be relocating an aggressive cougar one day and caring for a wounded deer the next.

It’s not for the faint of heart, and you must be in peak physical condition to care for wild animals. That said, knowing that you’re helping to sustain your local wildlife is the best feeling in the world.

3. Animal Shelter Worker

Working in an animal shelter can be heartbreaking, but it’s a job that has happy endings too. Each time you see one of your animal friends walk out the door with a new owner will remind you why you work with animals. 

To do a job like this, you’ll have to have the right attitude. Every animal in a shelter has a different background and temperament. Not all of them will be friendly, but if you’ve got enough compassion for them, the day-to-day work will be so satisfying.

4. Dog Training

People love the idea of having dogs as pets, but they hate the process of training them. Being a dog trainer gives you the chance to work with these lovable furry friends every day, helping them to function better alongside their humans. 

It can be a tough job at times, especially if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy the business side of things. That said, there are plenty of tools available these days, including this automation tool for dog training business owners that can make your life easier with scheduling and customer management. 

Animal Jobs Are Available

There are plenty of animal jobs out there beyond the ones we’ve discussed here, but these are some of the most popular. These professions should always be staffed by animal lovers, so choose the one that appeals to you and start your training today.

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