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We as a nation
have an ongoing love affair with animals. Americans own and care
for 48 million dogs, 25 million cats, 23 million birds, 12 million
exotic pets and 340 million fish. Although many of us enjoy and
appreciate animals, making them your career calls for something
special. Among the elements of aptitude you will need is good health.
Animal care is physically and mentally demanding, far from the glamorous
work too often portrayed in the media. Ministering to an ailing
horse may be a round-the-clock job. Placing radio transmitters on
hibernating black bears to track their later movements will call
for wilderness survival skills as well as physical strength and
a high degree of courage. Whether you are rescuing ducks from an
oil spill, changing cat cages in a veterinary clinic, or training
dogs for a show ring, your aptitude must include an almost inborn
affinity for animals.
Annual salary
range is from $15,000-$35,000
Animal care
jobs are expected to grow faster than average for all occupations
though the year 2006.
Employers generally
prefer to hire people with some experience with animals. Training
programs are available for specific types of animal caretakers.
Search
our College Directory for a College near you that offers Animal
Care Degrees
Job
Descriptions
Animal
Caretakers
Also
referred to as animal attendants, perform daily duties that include
feeding, grooming, cleaning, and exercising animals. Kennels, pet
stores, animal shelters, laboratories, zoos, and veterinary facilities
all employ caretakers.
Equine Studies
Feed and water horses, saddle and unsaddle them, give them rubdowns,
and walk them through cool-offs after riding. Other duties include
cleaning out stalls, grooming the horses, storing feed and supplies
and, with experience, horse training..
Horse Shoeing
If you love animals and the outdoors, and you would like to work
for yourself, then the Farrier Trade could be for you! Learn about
the difference between keg shoes to corrective shoeing to handmade
shoes. Work in the great outdoors shoeing horses and working with
hammer, anvil and forge, building custom and therapeutic shoes for
their clients' horses.
Veterinary Technician
Veterinary Technicians have completed formal studies and work in
veterinary offices, animal laboratories, and animal hospitals. They
prepare animals for surgery and assist during medical procedures.
They also keep records.
Veterinary Clinical Assistant
Veterinary assistants assist veterinarians or veterinarian technicians.
They feed and bathe animals and administer medications as well.
They inspect animals for sores or signs of illness that could spread
to other animals. The work is sometimes hard, repetitious, and dirty.
Animals constantly need to be fed, watered and exercised, and to
have their living spaces cleaned.
Veterinary
Assistants
Veterinary assistants assist veterinarians or veterinarian technicians.
They feed and bathe animals and administer medications as well.
They inspect animals for sores or signs of illness that could spread
to other animals. The work is sometimes hard, repetitious, and dirty.
Animals constantly need to be fed, watered and exercised, and to
have their living spaces cleaned.
Search
our College Directory for a College near you that offers Animal
Care Degrees
Information
from The Fastest Growing Careers for the 21st Century
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