For true animal lovers out there, a career involving pets is usually the most fulfilling. While the most obvious profession for animal lovers is veterinarian, there are a lot of other options. So if you love animals, but don’t like seeing them sick, you can try out any number of other animal related professions.

Pet Sitter

People love owning pets but people also love taking vacations. When the family goes on their vacation, they are often confronted with the decision of what to do with the family pet. This leaves a pretty large market for pet sitting careers. There are a handful of different ways to approach the pet sitting business.

Some pet sitters prefer to watch the pet in the owner’s home. Often times this can provide the pet sitter with a higher rate because the sitter is going to the off-site location and watching the pet around the clock in the comfort of their own home.

Additionally, pet sitters can do the rounds of the neighborhood, stopping by multiple homes to provide pets with water, food, and outdoor time. This is a great option for sitters because it provides them with a large client base. In today’s society the entire family is usually gone the majority of the day, meaning someone needs to take care of their pets when they are gone.

Finally, some sitters set up their own pet sitting business in their own home. This allows them to have multiple clients at once, without having to travel to multiple locations. The income will depend largely on the hours worked, the hourly rate, and number of clients.

Dog Walker

Dog walking is another great career option for pet lovers. Hopefully you’ve got your fitness tracker ready because you are going to be walking a lot. Many dog walkers walk over six hours per day. The confident dog walker may also offer obedience training so that busy pet owners can have an obedient dog when taking it on walks themselves.

The earning potential for a dog walker lies solely on how many dogs are being walked and how often dogs are walked.

Pet Groomer

Pet grooming is another great option for pet lovers. A pet groomers day might consist of combing, nail trimming, bathing, shearing, and more. Starting up a dog grooming business usually involves a little bit more upfront costs than the previous two careers listed. It requires space, grooming supplies, waste management, and a water supply.

To avoid some of these costs, some groomers will setup in their own home. Others will keep costs down by avoiding the brick and mortar route and opting for a grooming van. The grooming van is actually a very good idea for groomers. Not only are space costs down, but your van is a moving advertisement.

Pooper Scooper

This might not be the pet lover’s dream job, but it can actually be quite lucrative. You’d be hard pressed to find a pet owner that likes picking up their pet’s waste. It is estimated that there are only 800 professional pooper scoopers in the United States. That may sound like a lot, but in reality, that is a pretty small amount of competition. Some of these pooper scoopers even earn up to $100,000 per year.

The reason the pay is higher than most pet related jobs is because it is not hourly based. Pooper scoopers often charge a weekly or monthly fee for pet waste pickup. Picking up the waste can take as little as five minutes. That leaves the potential for 12 clients in one hour.

It may not have the same perks as professional puppy cuddler, but the monetary gains sure are worth it.

Boarder

Opening a pet boarding facility or working for a boarding facility is another great career option for pet lovers. Pet boarding facilities allow owners to drop their dogs off for daycare or for extended periods of time while away. Working for a pet boarding facility often means constant interaction with the pets. This can include providing all of the animals with their food and water at each meal or even monitoring or partaking in the playtime. Most boarding facilities provide a playtime for all of the animals which is monitored by a staff member. So if your dream is to play with animals all day, dog boarding might be your calling.

Pet Masseuse

If nothing has peaked your interests yet, being a pet masseuse might. Pet massages aren’t always a luxury service. Some are actually part of a veterinarian’s treatment plan. These massages can help pets with chronic pain or recover from the pain of an injury. It is almost an equivalent of physical therapy for humans. Aiding in the healing process of a pet is sure to be a fulfilling career involving animals.