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September 2006 •
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Working with Animals
Perhaps you also abandoned your tricycle one hot summer day to drag the neighborhood dog, three times your size, into your house for a cold drink. But despite your love for animals, you never went on to vet school. It is not too late, however, to work with animals. If you are still interested in helping animals, either as a career goal or in your free time, plenty of other job opportunities are available. Veterinary technician Vet techs, as they are often called, are invaluable at the animal hospital. They are often dubbed "the nurses of animal medicine." A tech's day is usually very busy, said Rene Neilson, a certified technician and hospital manager at Family Friend Animal Hospital, Redlands, Calif. She typically works from 9 to 6, helping pets from the time she gets in until she leaves in the evening. When the hospital opens, Ms. Neilson said she helps clients get their pets checked in and checks on the hospitalized animals. Soon after, she starts seeing patients. Throughout the day, technicians answer owners' questions about medical conditions (although they sometimes defer these questions to the veterinarian), new pets, and proper care. They also assist veterinarians with numerous tasks, depending on their qualifications. Techs are so busy running around that "usually you need roller skates," Ms. Neilson joked. She recommends the job to someone who is active, doesn't mind getting dirty and has an interest in medicine. The last requirement is especially important, since the job is highly science oriented, more than some think. Several people she knows have tried working in an animal hospital only to realize "it is not all puppies and kittens." Many patients that come in are ill and that can be hard to take at times, Ms. Neilson said but there are occasional kisses from puppies and kittens as well. "It's well worth it," she said. Some technicians can help veterinarians in exam rooms, take x-rays, perform blood work, assist with bandaging wounds and broken bones, and more. Those who have completed a two-year college course and passed a state board exam are known as certified or registered technicians (depending on the state) and are barred only from making diagnoses, prescribing medication, and performing surgery without supervision. But technicians' responsibilities can vary depending on where they work. In New York, Ms. Neilson, who is originally from the Big Apple, said uncertified technicians were limited in the procedures they could perform. Collecting blood samples for example, was left up to those with certification. In California, however, she added, she has noticed that uncertified technicians are given more leeway for hands on learning. Ms. Neilson herself has applied her skills in several roles. She has been a surgical technician, assisting with surgeries, performing dental procedures, controlling anesthesia, setting up the room and cleaning up after the procedure. She has also been a treatment technician -- responsible for administering medications, inserting catheters, collecting blood and urine samples and talking to clients about how to care for their ill pets. Now that she is managing a practice, she said she is a jack of all trades technician. The job provides a lot of variety, which keeps it interesting, she said. "I really enjoy going to work." For those that are interested in becoming a technician, high school or college guidance counselors are excellent sources of information, she said. Volunteering at an animal hospital or shelter to get experience with animals other than your own pets is important. Some animal hospitals also need kennel help or technicians' assistants -- both are a great way to get hands on experience and find out if you are cut out for the job. "Picking up poop is not a fun job," Ms. Neilson said, but it definitely humbles a lot of people and being in the animal hospital gives them an idea of whether they want to pursue a career in animal medicine. If you are interested in becoming a technician, Ms. Neilson highly recommends going to school for the certification. Not only is the educational background important, the certification will also stand out on your resume and give you better salary options, she said. Wages depend on what part of the country you are in, but in general, Ms. Neilson said those who are just starting out make slightly above minimum wage. This improves with experience and certification, she added. The average starting salary for veterinary technicians, according to a November 1999 survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, is $20,161. Shelter worker Shelters are almost always in need of another helping hand. Many have lots of animals and a small staff that relies heavily on volunteers. People come into this line of work for their love of animals and definitely not for the money, said Leigh Grady, manager of Sterling Animal Shelter, Sterling, Mass. It is a full time responsibility, she added. Getting a vacation is not easy -- someone has to be there to take of the animals seven days a week, 24 hours a day. As with any job there are good days and bad days at the shelter. When people come in to surrender their pets and don't want to first try any of the suggestions shelter workers give for addressing the reason why the animal is being given up, it can be "very sad and disappointing," Ms. Grady said. On the flip side, finding homes for the animals waiting in the shelter is extremely rewarding, she added. The Sterling Animal Shelter ideally has a staff of eight, although it has been run with as few as two or three at times. Some of these employees are paid staff -- they do most of the paperwork for the adoptions, take in the surrendered animals, and administer vaccines and medicine. The rest are volunteers who get to do the fun stuff, Ms. Grady said. Volunteers walk the dogs, groom cats, give baths to puppies and do some housekeeping tasks like cage cleaning. They also offer suggestions to pet owners on such matters as how to crate-train their new dog. The Massachusetts shelter has some regular volunteers who come in every day while others drop in whenever they get a chance. Starting out as a volunteer is a good idea for those who are interested in shelter work, Ms. Grady said, "Just to see if they have the heart to deal with it." It can be tough to see animals that must be euthanized. Even in her no-kill shelter, Ms. Grady, who has been in this line work for nine years, said there are some animals that have to be put to sleep. Some are terminally ill and others are aggressive and a liability to employees or potential adopters. It can be hard to realize that "not every animal has a home for life," she said. But for those who can stomach the unpleasant necessities of shelter work, there are some very happy moments. For example, Ms. Grady said on the days when potential adopters know the shelter will be bringing in puppies from over-burdened shelters in Virginia, they line up outside the shelter in freezing cold temperatures four hours before the puppies arrive because they want to take home a dog that badly. "We love to see that," she said. Some of these people even have to take a day off work to adopt their new pet. On a good day like this the shelter might adopt out 15 to 25 animals. On bad days, she said, "nothing leaves." Recently on one such not-so-good day, the shelter received four older dogs which Ms. Grady anticipates will be harder to adopt out just because of their age. The shelter operates on a budget of $25,000 a month and makes most of the money from the adoption and surrender fees. This is sometimes barely enough to cover costs of veterinary care and other expenses. But even though there isn't a large paycheck involved, Ms. Grady said, she encourages animal lovers to lend a helping hand. "If you don't do it," she added, "somebody else might not do it." Breed rescue worker If you have a favorite breed of dog or cat, you might enjoy breed rescue work. There are many, many breed rescue groups for any breed you can think of -- and if you can't find a rescue group in your area for your favorite breed, you can always start your own! These organizations are non-profit groups that rehabilitate the animals, if necessary, take them to the vet, and then try to adopt them out to people who are looking for that breed as a pet. Lori Blackburn, Greenfield, Ohio, director of the Purebred Rescue Organization of Ohio, Inc., said she first got involved when she wanted to help an underweight, poorly muscled dog suffering from mange. "About one year ago, I rescued a boxer on my own and was looking for information on health related things for her, when I found Greater Ohio Boxer Rescue. When I saw what a need there was I gladly volunteered." Now, Ms. Blackburn works full time as a paramedic but spends lots of her free time -- at least 40 hours a week, she said, "answering e-mails, talking to potential adopters and transporting rescues to the vet and to their new homes." For those interested in working with animals, breed rescues are excellent places to get involved, according to Ms. Blackburn. "It is very rewarding to rehabilitate and place a dog into a loving home that will care for them forever." Volunteering at an existing rescue is the way to go if you are interested in starting a rescue of your own, Ms. Blackburn recommended. "We are always looking for volunteers to help with fostering, fundraisers, and transports." For those who are interested in joining in, Ms. Blackburn said, "it is important to be experienced with dog behavior, health, and the particular breed you are working with. We have different breed reps who evaluate and foster only dogs they are used to." Breed rescues are funded by adoption donations, individual donations, fundraisers, and sometimes grants. Where she works, Ms. Blackburn said, the positions are all volunteer. Most people who start breed rescues use their own money to get the organization off the ground, Ms. Grady, who also works with a basset hound rescue, explained. Groomer Grooming pets is a job that never gets boring, according to Patsy Moss, owner of A Dog's Best Friend and Cats Too, Charlotte, N.C., who has been in the business for 27 years. "Every day is different," she said. Her grooming business is open six days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and regular clients keep all the groomers busy the entire time. When a dog comes in for the full treatment, it gets much more than just a haircut. The dog is bathed, has its ears cleaned, nails clipped, and anal glands expressed. Then the pet gets a haircut and coat conditioner applied. The fur is dried, fluffed and primped. Grooming is a fun but difficult job, Ms. Moss explained. Groomers need to know all the different breed cuts. A schnauzer cut is very different than a poodle cut, she explained. And of course even skilled groomers can be thrown for a loop when a new, rare breed they have never seen before walks in the door. Ms. Moss recalled the first time she cut a Bedlington terrier. Luckily she had access to a grooming handbook which tells groomers what blade number to use and how to style each breed. Even with this book, Ms. Moss said, she spent "several extra hours," to get the look just right. The dog turned out looking very nice and she said it was a satisfying experience. Groomers must also have lots of patience, especially when working with wiggly dogs. Their fur has to be cut just as neatly as the more cooperative animals. And groomers always have to be pleasant and polite when talking to pet owners. The fun is in making the dogs and cats look their best and at A Dog's Best Friend and Cats Too, all pets are given a seasonal touch. "They basically get a little outfit," Ms. Moss explained. The outfits are made up of bows and bandanas. Right now that means yellow ones with ducks for spring, but periodically there is a new seasonal theme, such as Christmas, Valentine's Day or St. Patrick's day. Now more indoor cats are coming in to be groomed as well, she added. Upon request, her employees give cats a "lion cut" with long fur on the tail, paws and around the head, but clip the rest of their fur short to cut down on shedding. For those interested in grooming, Ms. Moss suggests first getting a job as a dog bather, the person who preps the pets for the groomers. That way you can deal with the animals and see how wiggly they are and how challenging the job will be before investing in a training course. Ms. Moss offers such training courses for $3,500. The twelve-week class teaches potential groomers the ropes. "We let them bring their neighbors' dogs in to practice on," she chuckled. Groomers learn the basics in training classes but once they get into the business can keep improving their scissor skills. That is another reason the job never gets boring, Ms. Moss said. In her area, she said people in this line of work can earn a decent living. She estimated average earnings would be about $25,000-$30,000. Beginners would be on the lower end of that scale until they get their speed up, she said. When they first start out groomers are concentrating on the quality of the clips. With all these animal jobs, experts said a love for cats and dogs is the foremost necessity. For more information: Another option for those interested in spending more time with pets is dog-walking. Click here to learn what this occupation is like. The Walter Turken Program, based in Naples, Fla., trains volunteers to help shelter animals. To learn more click here or call 941-596-7209. Veterinary Technicians: Serving Animals Every Day ... With Pleasure Introducing: Your Animal Hospital Staff So You Want To Be A Veterinarian? Resolve to Help Animals (and People) in the New Year *Article courtesy of VetCentric.com |
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When asked about their career choice, many veterinarians will say that they loved animals from the time they could walk. As soon as they could, they recall with a chuckle, these future vets would coax any living creature -- worm, frog, stray cat -- into their house.