Jobs with animals

There is no doubt that aj ob with animals is the dream of many people. Working with animals can be very fulfilling, but before you decide on one of these career paths, you should be aware of the following: Everyday working life is not all sunny side up! Which professions with animals are there? Which nice and less nice sides do they have?

Which jobs with animals are there?

Sometimes it is not so easy to know which career path you personally want to take. However, if you already know that your future profession should have something to do with animals, you are already a bit ahead of many undecided people. But even if you know that you want to pursue a career with animals, it is sometimes not so easy to know in which direction the path should go.

Not only are there many different career options to choose from, but also the individual requirements for each profession. Below you will find a list of the different career paths in German-speaking countries. 

• Veterinarian
• Animal keeper
• Animal trainer
• Animal sitter
• Animal groomer
• Animal farmer
• Animal-assisted therapist
• Animal healer
• Animal scientist
• Zoologist
• Biologist, scientist
• Animal photographer
• Assistant on farms, etc.
• Work with “mission dogs” (therapy assistance dogs, police dog squad, military dogs, sniffer dogs, hunting dogs etc.)

Jobs with animals: The sunny side.

The proximity to animals and, if applicable, to nature, coupled with the opportunity to earn money, is the epitome of a dream job for many. 

What can you look forward to in particular, what are the especially beautiful sides that await you? 

• Of course, the closeness, the direct contact with the (most diverse) animals. 
• In many of these professions, you work (regularly) in the fresh air and the exercise in everyday life is certainly not neglected. 
• You will probably never get bored, as every day brings new impressions, tasks and challenges.
• Your help will be gratefully accepted. In most of the professions, you support, heal, cure, herd, rescue and occupy the animals. All in all, you can be sure that you are doing something good.
• With your work you also help the owners of the animals or the society.
• The demand in each field is quite high.

Jobs with animals: The downsides.

As in all areas of life, there are not only sunny sides in everyday work with animals. What difficulties could you encounter, what unpleasant things do you have to expect if you decide to work with animals?

First of all, not every point applies to all professions. It also depends very much on your personality and resources whether you feel burdened (and how much) by the following things. Whether you are suitable for the respective profession, which individual prerequisites and resources you should bring with you, can also be found in the respective articles (see above).

• Patience is the be-all and end-all when working with animals; impatient people are not advised to work with animals.
• Animals do not stay healthy forever. You may see animals suffer and, in the worst case, have to accompany animals when they die. 
• Emotional strength would therefore be an important resource.
• Physical fitness, stamina and reliability are qualities that are definitely recommended in many of these professions.
• Allergies to animal hair and the like are of course counterproductive.
• You should also be able to work with people. It is often forgotten that in many of these professions you always have to deal with the owners of the animals. Good empathy is also necessary here.
• Time flexibility is also an advantage. Keep in mind that you may have to work weekends or overtime. In medicine and/or care, the animals rarely follow your schedule or you have to work around the owners’ free time. 
• In most of these jobs you are confronted with blood, dirt and droppings on a daily basis. A too squeamish mind with a tendency to disgust and dislike dirt will not enjoy working with animals in the long run. 
• Medical studies in particular are long and demanding, but an appropriate, qualitative education is also required in other areas. Various further training courses should also be on the agenda. The desire but also the time to (regularly) acquire new knowledge should be given.