Unwanted pets and strays need dedicated people to rescue them.
Sadly, there are thousands of dogs and cats who are turned out of homes every year. Combined with all the canines and felines who are born in the streets, these creatures require protection and nurture by committed individuals. The safety and health of the general public also benefit from those who commit themselves to animal welfare of this sort. Accordingly, animal shelters serve both humans and non-humans. Those who work in shelters most often do so out of concern for needy critters as opposed to ambition. Yet opportunities exist for advancement in this field.
Getting Started In Animal Care
Shelter workers keep the animals safe and comfortable.
The usual entry into animal shelter vocations is that of animal care. This involves the most basic, and thankless, tasks such as feeding, bathing and walking the animals, as well as cleaning cages and stalls. Cats and dogs are social mammals, so an animal caretaker may spend a good portion of time simply keeping them company, though volunteers are often recruited for this role as well. As they gain experience at the shelter, animal caretakers will likely be trained in the administration of vaccines and topical treatments. Unless working for a no-kill shelter, they may also be schooled in euthanasia. Of course paperwork is inescapable, and the animal caretaker will receive and file applications for pet adoption.
Finding New Homes For Homeless Pets
The shelter is no substitute for a loving home.
With a few years of experience in shelter work, an aspiring employee can become an adoptions specialist or coordinator. In this capacity she will advise and instruct applicants on the pros and cons of pet ownership. She will also work to increase public awareness regarding the availability of these homeless animals. Perhaps the most important task is to evaluate the applications in order to determine the suitability of the applicant for a particular shelter animal. Many of the creatures languishing in shelters do so because the original owners were ignorant of all that it takes in time, labor and money to properly care for a pet. The adoptions coordinator makes every effort to prevent any repeats of such mistakes.
Saving Stray And Abused Creatures
If an animal is being mistreated, an animal control officer may move it to a shelter.
Experience is also helpful in becoming an animal control officer; however, more may be required in terms of training. Officers are charged with catching stray and dangerous animals, some of them more exotic and beastly than the run of the mill dog or cat. Officers must also enforce humane statutes and are thus regularly called on to investigate allegations of cruelty and if necessary, seize abused animals from their owners. Working knowledge of animal laws is therefore required, as is regular collaboration with local police. Because of the varied and difficult requirements of this job, many animal agencies mandate that their control officers complete a training course administered by the National Animal Control Association.
Taking Charge
Shelter managers serve both the animals and the public.
Laboring in each or all of these positions builds a knowledge base that will advance a candidate to management if so desired. A manager must supervise the acquisition, lodging, care, feeding, adoption, and disposition of shelter residents. A delicate balance between keeping city streets free of feral critters and preventing overcrowding at the shelter must be maintained, so the shelter manager best have a sound working knowledge of each job function.
Tags: animal caretaker, animal control, animal control officer, control officer, experience shelter, serve both