If you’re an animal lover with a desire to make a difference, then there’s no reason why you can’t fulfil your dream of working with nature’s wonderful creatures.
From retraining as a veterinary nurse to becoming a pet behaviourist, here are 12 interesting and varied roles that’ll allow you to spend your days working closely with all animals great and small…
1. Assistance dog trainer
Are you looking for a career with a bit of ‘staying’ power? Could you help to train generations of canine heroes?
Dogs are incredible animals for many reasons, but top of the list has to be their intelligence and strong sense of loyalty.
These characteristics are highly apparent in specific dog breeds, such as labradors and golden retrievers. So they’re trained to guide, lead, and assist people with disabilities including sight or hearing loss – helping them to live their lives to the fullest.
Qualified assistance dogs act in such a protective and helpful manner that sometimes it’s difficult to believe they aren’t human! However, as clever as they are, there is a lot of work that goes into training these dogs before they’re paired up with a person with a disability.
Guide dog training must be flawless, otherwise, they could end up leading a disabled person into danger – for example, a blind person into a busy road.
This is where assistance dog trainers step in, to make sure that a dog is fully qualified for their position by teaching them everything they need to know to be able to help their future companion.
This role has a really high satisfaction rate, as you’ll follow puppies on their journey to their new role as a qualified adult assistant dog, until, ultimately, they’re able to give a new lease on life to someone who needs them.
So, how can you get involved? There are no set criteria needed to apply for a job as an assistance dog trainer, but it does help if you have a degree in animal behaviour or have plenty of experience working with dogs.
However, if working with animals is new to you and you’re keen to get stuck in straight away, organisations like Guide Dogs UK and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People take on trainees with little or no experience.
It’s best to start by contacting organisations like these directly, to find out more about what’s involved. They might also be able to point you in the direction of volunteering opportunities that could help you decidewhether it’s the right role for you.
Want to start your dog training journey?
2. Veterinary nurse
Are you a warm, friendly, and compassionate person? Do you have a genuine love of animals? If yes, then it’s worth considering a career as a veterinary nurse where you’ll help to care for and rehabilitate sick or injured animals.
Veterinary nurses typically work in veterinary surgeries or practices, but they can also work for animal charities or zoos, sometimes providing emergency or specialised care.
Generally, a day in the life of a veterinary nurse is full of variety because you never know which animals will come through the door, or what sort of care they’ll require. You could be caring for anything from a poorly labrador who’s eaten something they shouldn’t, to an injured bird found stranded by the side of the road.
General duties usually include monitoring animals; making sure they’re as comfortable as possible; administering treatments like injections, tablets, and blood transfusions; and feeding, grooming, and walking animals when necessary. Veterinary nurses also work closely with veterinarians to make sure that animals receive the best possible care.
If you’re keen to make your dream of working with animals come true, one of the best ways to get started is by enrolling on a Level 3 Diploma in veterinary nursing at your local college, adult education centre, or veterinary school.
This vocational course will allow you to get hands-on and put your theoretical knowledge into practice. You can either take the course full-time or part-time on an apprenticeship-style basis alongside a part-time job as an assistant in a veterinary practice.
Upon successful completion of the course, you’ll be able to apply for professional registration as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), which means you can start applying for professional roles.
The link below will download a PDF containing a list of approved higher education qualifications from the RCVS website.
Interested in a diploma in veterinary nursing?
3. Pet behaviourist
Do you sometimes wish you could get inside the minds of animals and find out what they’re thinking or feeling? Well, as a pet behaviourist, you can.
Pet behaviourists are commonly called to deal with cats or dogs who are exhibiting unusual or worrying behaviour – usually after any sort of medical condition is ruled out by a vet. For example, a dog might be resisting going out for a walk for no known reason, or a cat might have withdrawn and taken to hiding in strange places.
Pet owners will be looking to find out from you why their pet is acting this way and what they can do to resolve it; usually, so that both the animal and the owner can become happier and strengthen their bond.
The routes into this profession can vary with some people preferring to study a degree in animal behaviour, and others applying for a job working with animals (for example, in a dog kennel or animal rescue centre) and training on the job.
If you’re still trying to work out whether a career in animal behaviour is something that you’d really like to do, you could also start by gaining voluntary experience with an animal charity. This will give you a chance to talk to people in the industry and find out more about whether it’s the right career for you.
Want to gain some experience?
4. Zookeeper
Were you born to be wild? If so, a job as a zookeeper could be just what you’ve been looking for…
Zookeepers are responsible for looking after the welfare of animals in places like zoos, safari or wildlife parks, aquariums, or any other animal attractions that are open to the public. These animals could be anything from lions and tigers to dolphins and penguins.
Zookeepers generally make sure that animals have a safe, yet stimulating space to live, that mimics how they would live in the wild. They also watch animals for signs of illness, injury, or pregnancy, as well as feed them and administer regular medication when necessary.
Zookeeping is best suited to individuals with a strong interest in wild animals and conservation, and who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty – as the role can often involve tasks such as cleaning out animal pens and fixing equipment!
It’s not essential to have a degree to become a zookeeper, but you’ll need to work at gaining the knowledge and skills needed to really excel in the role and understand the animals that you’re looking after.
One way to do this is by taking a Level 3 Extended Diploma in animal management at your local college or adult education centre, and then applying for a trainee zookeeper role so you can continue to learn on the job.
If you’re unsure whether a career as a zookeeper would be suitable for you, then before investing time in qualifications and training, it’s a good idea to contact your local zoo or animal attraction to see if they can take you on as a volunteer. This will give you the chance to network, see exactly what zookeepers do, and work out whether this is something that you’d enjoy.
See if zookeeping is for you…
5. Dog walker or sitter
Are you barking mad about the idea of spending your days hanging out with a bunch of mutts? Then why not try your hand at dog walking or sitting?
Dog walkers and sitters are usually in high demand and once a dog owner sees how well you’ve bonded with their companion, it’s likely that they’ll become a regular user of your services and may recommend you to others.
The great thing about walking or sitting for dogs (apart from being surrounded by dogs) is that you can do it on a self-employed basis; choosing how many dogs you want to take on at any one time, and what days or hours you’re prepared to work. You can alsoset your own hourly or daily rate, which will usually be influenced by what others are charging for walking or sitting services locally.
If you think you’d like to give it a go, all you really need to get started is a reasonable level of fitness and a love of dogs – and it’s also worth getting specific insurance for dog walkers or sitters, which will usually include public liability insurance. This means that if a dog is to be injured or become unwell whilst in your care, the cost of any claims against you is covered.
The best way to start building a client base is to start dog walking or sitting for friends or family, and ask them to recommend you to people they know. You can also try making and handing out leaflets advertising your services in your local area, or visiting websites like Tailster toconnect you with dog owners near you.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, why not take a look at Maggie’s story? Maggie took on a pet sitting role in her 60s and said she couldn’t be happier.
Want to advertise your pet services?
Interested in pet sitting?
Or get inspired…
6. Animal care assistant
Being poorly or injured can be a very distressing time for animals, but animal care assistants can make all the difference.
As an animal care assistant, you could work for a veterinary surgery or an animal charity such as the RSPCA, where you’ll be responsible for tending to each animal’s individual needs (which could involve things like comforting, socialising, or grooming them), meeting and greeting pet owners, communicating with supporters/adopters, and completing relevant paperwork.
To land a job as an animal care assistant, you’ll usually need to be kind and approachable with excellent communication skills. It may also help to take a short course to boost your confidence and enhance your employability.
For example, Oxbridge Home Learning offers a Level 3 distance-learning course in animal care, which covers all the main areas of animal care from correct handling and understanding body language, through to basic anatomy and physiology.
Interested in taking a course?
Or if you’re ready to apply for animal assistant roles…
7. Beekeeper
Beekeeping can be an un-bee-lievably rewarding way to make a living.
Not only will you get a real buzz from working in the great outdoors, but you’ll also get to work closely with these hardworking, fuzzy little creatures; maintaining healthy beehives and providing them with everything they need to be able to pollinate plants and produce honey.
Beekeeping is about so much more than simply ‘keeping an eye on a beehive’ – the role involves a lot of hard work, dedication, and patience.
Beekeepers monitor hive health, check for mite infestations, and provide treatment if health problems arise. But they might also feed bees, replace combs, clean and construct hives, prepare equipment for pollination activities, raise and replace queen bees, and divide colonies if needed.
As a beekeeper, you’ll usually work long hours during the summer to provide bees with everything they need come rain or shine. To do well in this role, you’ll need to be fairly brave and have a genuine passion for bees – it’ll also help if you can stay calm under pressure, as bees don’t respond well to erratic behaviour.
If you think you’d like to make a beeline for a career in beekeeping, it’s worth taking a short online course to give you some basic background knowledge on beekeeping first. This will help you decide whether it’s definitely something that you want to do.
Whilst you’re getting familiar with your beekeeping responsibilities, it’s best to start small – for example, by keeping a small colony of bees as a hobby. It can also help to join the British Beekeeping Association (BBKA) to get advice and guidance.
Alternatively, to delve deeper into what beekeeping involves, have a read of our introduction to beekeeping. Here, we cover everything from the pros and cons of beekeeping to what equipment you’ll need to get going.
Once you’re comfortable in your role, you can think about the business side of things and start making a profit by selling honey, beeswax, and royal jelly. And when you’re feeling confident enough, you can also offer a bee collection service, where you can safely remove bee nests from people’s homes and add them to your own bee farm.
Learn more about beekeeping
8. Aquarist
Can you ‘sea’ a future working with the water-loving creatures of our planet? Aquarists work in zoos or aquariums with all types of sea life including fish, seahorses, penguins, and sharks!
On a typical day, you could be doing anything from cleaning shark tanks and training otters, to looking after 1cm-long baby seahorses. Often, an aquarist will also interact with guests, answering their questions about sea life or giving educational talks.
To enjoy this role, you’ll need to have a genuine interest in sea creatures and be willing to work in water. It’s also not a role for people who have a problem getting dirty or being in dark, small spaces as you’ll be required to do regular cleaning and animal feeds – which, in this case, could mean dishing out raw fish to a raft of hungry penguins!
One of the most appealing things about this role is that no two days are ever the same; you could get to work with some of nature’s most unusual creatures, such as octopuses, piranhas, and jellyfish.
To become an aquarist, you’ll usually need to complete a degree in a related subject, such as marine biology or animal care. You’ll also have an advantage if you’ve got previous experience working with animals. Some find that the best way to do this is to study for a degree whilst volunteering in an aquarium or zoo.
Occasionally, employers may also take on trainee aquarists, so it’s worth keeping an eye on online job boards or contacting your local zoo or aquarium directly to find out what opportunities might be available to you.
Study marine biology
9. Animal physiotherapist
Animal physiotherapists work with animals who are injured or have problems with movement to try and help manage their pain and improve their quality of life. There are no limits to the range of animals you may end up treating in this role, from pets to farm animals – or even zoo animals.
You’ll typically focus on treating problems affecting bones, muscles, the heart, the lungs, and the circulatory system. And physiotherapy techniques can include hydrotherapy, massage, and specially formulated exercise plans.
To excel in this role, you’ll need to have an in-depth knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of animals, and recognise when they have limited movement or any other conditions that may affect their health while in your care.
Animal physiotherapists don’t have the advantage of speaking to their clients about their mobility problems to gain insight into the problem (like physiotherapists who work with humans do), so they must really know their stuff!
If you’re interested in becoming an animal physiotherapist, you’ll need to do some higher education training. However, the course you take will depend on your background…
- If you have no experience or qualifications at all, you could complete an undergraduate degree in veterinary physiotherapy.
- Or, if you already have a degree in human physiotherapy or veterinary nursing, you could take a postgraduate course in animal/veterinary physiotherapy.
Both routes above will enable you to register as a veterinary nurse with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and start practising in the UK.
To get accepted onto a degree course, it can help if you have experience working with animals already. If you don’t, you can always start by contacting your local vets to ask if they have any opportunities for you to volunteer.
Once qualified, it’s a good idea to join a professional organisation like The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT) or the International Association of Animal Therapists (IAAT). You’ll also be able to decide whether you want to work on a self-employed basis or apply for a role in a veterinary practice or with an animal charity.
If you’d like to gain some experience…
10. RSPCA inspector
Would you like to help put an end to animal cruelty? Could you swoop in and save an animal when they need you the most? RSPCA Inspectors form the frontline in the prevention of animal cruelty, changing animals’ lives for the better and educating the owners who care for them.
You could be doing anything such as rescuing a dog from unsanitary living conditions to assisting a horse that has become entangled in a wire fence.
While this role can be hugely rewarding because every day you are actively making a difference to an animal’s wellbeing, it can also be challenging both physically and emotionally.
Sometimes, you’ll need to lift heavy equipment and animals and, on occasion, you could find yourself working around water, so you’ll need to be a strong swimmer and reasonably fit. You may also find yourself having to face confrontational, aggressive, or emotionally disturbing situations, so you should be prepared to handle anything that’s thrown your way.
You don’t need any formal qualifications to become an RSPCA inspector, however, experience working with animals will give you an advantage. Once you’ve applied for a role, if accepted, you’ll receive full training – some of which will be a 16-week residential programme where full-board accommodation will be provided.
If you’re keen to apply for a position, it’s best to contact your local RSPCA centre to find out more.
Want to find out more?
11. Wildlife conservation officer
If you love being outdoors and you feel passionate about protecting beautiful natural areas through publicity, conservation work, and scientific monitoring, you might want to think about becoming a wildlife conservation officer.
Wildlife conservation officers tend to work for local authorities, wildlife trusts, or government organisations, and their main responsibility is to help wildlife flourish via a range of methods including; monitoring biodiversity, increasing awareness of conservation in the community, and preparing conservation plans and reports.
In today’s modern world, it’s not uncommon for the importance of wildlife and natural spaces to be overlooked, but wildlife conservation officers do their bit to reduce the threat that human activity can have on natural habitats, to allow species to continue to thrive.
To become a wildlife conservation officer, you’ll usually need to choose one of two options…
- Complete an undergraduate degree in wildlife conservation, or, if you already have a degree in a subject related to wildlife, such as biology, environmental studies, or geography, then you may still be considered.
- If you’d prefer not to take a degree, it’s still possible to gain entry into the role, but you’ll need to build up some work experience in the field first.
You could apply to be a conservation volunteer or a wildlife assistant with a charity or wildlife centre. This will allow you to build up skills, network, and find out whether the role is right for you.
Interested in becoming qualified?
Or if you’d prefer to gain some experience…
12. Dog groomer
Dog grooming is a great option for anyone who wants to unleash their creativity whilst getting to work closely with lots of four-legged friends.
But while dog grooming can be a fun and varied career, it can also be quite physical as you’ll be working with dogs of all sizes, coat types, and temperaments – and not all dogs enjoy being washed and fluffed!
However, for those up for taking on a new challenge, this is a role that’ll allow you to carry on learning long after you complete your initial training.
Dog groomers are essentially like hairdressers or beauty therapists for dogs! They make dogs look and smell fantastic by providing a full range of grooming services from washing and brushing to nail clipping and ear and teeth cleaning.
The way that you groom a dog will usually follow the specific grooming standards for their breed, or could be based on a specific look or style that the owner has in mind.
While some dog groomers prefer to work in a salon as part of a team, others prefer to go solo and set up their services on a self-employed basis – often grooming dogs in their own homes. You don’t need any formal qualifications to start grooming dogs, as there are plenty of salons out there that’ll take on trainees.
However, for those who are keen to gain a few extra skills and boost their confidence before they apply for their first role – or if you want to head out on your own straight away – it can be helpful to take a Level 3 dog groomer course that’ll teach you all the basics you need to give every dog the pawfect look!
Learn the art of dog grooming
Ready to apply for roles?
For those who want to work with animals on a voluntary basis…
If you think that a career working with animals isn’t for you, but you’d still like to spend some time with them and help where you can, then it’s worth looking at volunteer opportunities that may be available near you.
These are wide-ranging – some require just an hour of your time a week, whilst others could involve an animal coming to live with you for a while.
For example, the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association regularly appeals for volunteers to help raise trainee guide dogs. A puppy would live with you for around 12-16 months while it learns the key skills needed to one day change the life of a person with sight loss.
The Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) also provides opportunities for people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and other disabilities to enrich their lives through horse riding. They welcome new volunteers to help them keep their regular weekly rides going.
To explore these options and more, you might want to use our handy search tool – or take a look at our section on volunteering with animals.
Interested in volunteering with animals?
Final thoughts...
From beekeeping and dog walking to pet behaviourism and animal physiotherapy, we hope that this list of 12 interesting roles has given you some inspiration if you’re looking for a career working with animals.
For more job ideas, why not check out the jobs and careers section of our website? Here, you’ll find everything from unique jobs you might not have considered to top driving jobs that offer flexibility and freedom. You can also search for jobs near you.