Members
Animal care
If you love animals and would like to spend your working day caring for them, there are several careers that might interest you. You can work with domestic animals like dogs, cats and guinea pigs or you may prefer to work with livestock such as horses, cows and goats. Or do you dream of working with wildlife? Maybe you want to work with dolphins, study tarantulas or search for rare butterflies? There are lots of careers that involve working with animals. The work is often hard and sometimes smelly, but no two days will be the same.
Vet
A veterinary surgeon (or vet) looks after the health of sick and injured animals. Being a vet involves prescribing medicines, acting as an anaesthetist and radiographer, as well as being a surgeon. Vets normally work in general practice, dealing with farm livestock and domestic pets, but occasionally they specialise, such as with zoo animals. As a vet, you need to be good at handling and treating animals, as well as have good management, business, communication and computer skills.
Veterinary Nurse
Working mainly with pets, a veterinary nurses job involves holding the animal while the vet examines and treats it and helping out with anaesthesia, instruments and dressings during operations. Other jobs around the practice include preparing the consulting room and operating theatre, feeding and exercising the patients, giving medicines and cleaning the animals quarters. You must be sympathetic and patient with anxious pets and their owners and you have to be prepared to do some of the messy jobs.
Fisheries Officer
Fisheries officers are responsible for the management, conservation and preservation of all stretches of water that are home to stocks of fish, such as in reservoirs, lakes, rivers and seas. The fisheries officer will make sure that the fish are not being endangered or over-fished and that they are protected from illegal fishing methods. Their duties also include improving the natural habitat for the fish in their care. Fisheries officers work irregular hours, including some weekends, public holidays and nights. They are often required to work in all weather conditions and may have to sleep in vehicles, tents or boats.
Other careers that involve working with animals
Animal nutritionist Dog trainer Farmer Farrier Forest worker Gamekeeper Horse groom Jockey Kennel worker Marine biologist Mounted police RSPCA inspector Saddler Zoo keeper
Want to know more?
www.rvc.ac.uk A must if you want to become a vet
www.pethealthcare.co.uk Offers lots of handy hints and tips on ways in which you can look after your pets
www.rspca.org.uk The site for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, dedicated to the welfare and protection of animals
www.lantra.co.uk Sector skills council website for careers in land-based and animal fields