Pet Care: Services, Professions, and How to Become a Pro
By definition, pet care means caring for and medically treating pets. Thus, a pet care service involves any job focused on pet well-being. Let’s explore the different types of pet care services and professions! What does becoming a professional take?
Fur Parents Love Their Pets
If you like animals, you’ve probably considered a job caring for them. How cool would it be to do what you love for a living and spend your days with animals? You likely know someone happily spending time with their pets at home.
It might not be simple, but it’s realistic!
9 Types of Pet Care Professions and Services
1. Veterinarian
Also called a veterinary physician or surgeon, veterinarians care for our pets and contribute to public health. They research animal diseases and conditions, diagnosing and treating pets and livestock.
A veterinarian is an animal doctor, but their tasks are complex. An animal can’t reach a vet’s clinic alone. A human must help them seek medical attention. This means vets constantly deal with at least two individuals.
What does it take to be a veterinarian?
- Education: A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from an accredited college.
- Communication Skills: Vets must provide excellent pet care. They need clear instructions for staff. Explaining options and recommendations to pet owners is vital. Lives depend on it.
- Compassion and Empathy: Kindness and respect for animals are crucial. Sensitivity towards owners is equally important. Compassion makes a huge difference with sick or dying pets and their humans.
- Manual Dexterity: Vets perform surgical procedures, requiring skillful hand use.
- Problem-solving & Decision-making: These critical skills aid diagnosis and treatment. The challenge? Pets can’t describe their feelings, and vets can’t ask probing questions.
Becoming and remaining a doctor demands a lot. The rewards make the hard work worthwhile.
2. Veterinary Assistant
Assistants help with clinic duties, exercising pets, and kennel work. This job requires compassion, patience, attention to detail, and organization. They must handle situations involving very ill pets or euthanasia.
3. Dog Walking
Exercise is vital for dogs and humans. Busy people naturally hire dog walkers. You can join a company, work privately, or use a dog walking app to start and gauge potential earnings.
The job seems simple, but prerequisites exist. At minimum, dog walkers should know state laws, handle all dog types, and have emergency training.
4. Sitting
Pet sitting resembles babysitting, but for pets. It may include dog walking, depending on the owner-sitter agreement.
Pet sitters must earn owner trust before starting a long-term relationship. Trust is essential because owners let a stranger into their personal space. The safety of the pet and every household member is at stake.
Sitters can even stay overnight when owners travel. Owners can request different rates for overnight stays or discuss extra fees based on the work required.
5. Pet Boarding or Kennel Attendants
Pet boarding attendants combine aspects of pet sitting and veterinary assisting. The key difference? Attendants don’t choose the pets; owners bring them to the boarding facility. Assistants may work holidays, especially if the business operates seven days a week.
6. Dog Grooming
Love seeing trimmed poodles and chow chows, or brushed Maltese? Then dog grooming sounds familiar. If you’re creative or a frustrated hairstylist who loves pets, dog grooming could be double the fun.
7. Pet Training
Pet trainers teach pets to listen, obey, and have manners. Well-trained pets help owners by being less troublesome to clean up after. They can be dog trainers, cat trainers, or experts with other animals (domesticated or not), requiring deep animal behavior knowledge.
8. Veterinary Acupuncturist
Veterinarians practicing acupuncture as pet treatment are animal acupuncturists. Their median salary averages $48,400.
9. Dog or Cat Breeder / Assistant
Fans of puppies and kittens might find breeding appealing. Breeders or their assistants spend much time caring for little ones while maintaining high genetic standards.
Basic Qualities for Most Pet Care Services
Certain skills are essential for pet care jobs:
- Reliability, Responsibility, Trustworthiness: Owners often consider pets ‘family’. Leaving a pet in someone’s care resembles leaving a child with a babysitter.
- Empathy: Understanding others’ feelings enables appropriate, sincere responses.
- Physical Fitness: Many roles require lifting large dogs or standing/walking for long periods. Endurance is crucial for long hours.
- Patience / Customer Service Skills: Pet pros deal with diverse owners and pets daily, each with unique personalities. Adjusting quickly and patiently handling difficult customers is key.
- Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Clear understanding and communication are vital when exchanging instructions. Getting along with all kinds of people is essential.
- Attentiveness & Detail-Oriented: This quality is critical when lives are involved. There’s no room for error or forgetfulness with medicine, allergies, or anxiety triggers.
Considering a Pet Care Profession?
Note the qualities aiding success in your chosen field. Some jobs don’t need a college degree or formal training. Ask yourself if you’re willing to put in the time and effort.
A kennel attendant is a good entry-level position for undergraduates or high school graduates. The same applies to pet sitting, especially part-time for neighbors’ pets.
Things To Consider as a Pet Care Professional
Consider the hazards in various pet care services. Pet care insurance policies cover these professionals’ needs. However, starting your own business and hiring employees requires relevant insurance. This protects the business and employees during untoward incidents. Being prepared is always better than being sorry.
