A Career as a Conservation Canine Handler: Part 2, Do You Have What it Takes?

March 9, 2016Posted inAll articles, Career options, Experts & interviews, Featured articles2 Comments

Dog in field - Interview with Jennifer Hartman of Conservation Canines CK9 dog handler

By Paula Fitzsimmons with Jennifer Hartman

Conservation canines and their handlers are playing a vital role in wildlife protection. Dogs have an unrivaled ability to detect scat from dozens of species – scientists use these samples to learn more about a wild population’s behaviors, movements, and feeding patterns.  This data is valuable not only in fighting wildlife crimes, but it can aid in forming effective and humane wildlife management policies.

The dogs, who primarily come from rescues, have to possess certain characteristics to make the cut – namely, a playful spirit, boundless energy, and the ability to work in the field for hours at a time.

8 Ways for Animal Lovers to Find a Dream Job

December 17, 2015Posted inAll articles, Featured articles, How-to succeed, Tools for success

Meerkat standing

By Paula Fitzsimmons

Ask ten different people working in the animal care field how they got their job, and you’ll likely get an assortment of replies. There are no right or wrong paths to gainful employment – what works for someone else may not necessarily be ideal for your situation.

Getting hired is sometimes simply the result of great timing, knowing someone who knows someone, and even luck. More often that not, it takes dogged determination and an awareness of which tools to use to your advantage.

A Career Raising Cash for Animal Causes . . . Is It for You?

December 10, 2015Posted inAll articles, Career options, Experts & interviews

Fundraising with Angela Grimes

By Paula Fitzsimmons with Angela Grimes

All animal protection and care jobs are important in their own right. Animal caregivers, administrators, veterinary professionals, humane officers, sanctuary operators, and others working in this field all play a vital role. Yet their important work wouldn’t be possible without incoming cash. Animal food, rent, employee salaries, vet services, and administrative costs don’t come cheaply. Yep, it’s similar to running a business.

Get That Animal Welfare Job – 8 Ways to Stand Apart From the Pack

September 7, 2015Posted inAll articles, Featured articles, How-to succeed

African Savanna By Paula Fitzsimmons

If you want an animal welfare organization to hire you, the stuff you bring to their table has to be pretty special. If a company or organization has 50 people applying for the same position – and most of these applicants have similar skills and experience – it’s too easy to be forgotten. You need creative ways to stand out (in a positive way!) from the horde of other applicants, and give your future employer a reason to want to hire you.

The following ideas may not necessarily guarantee you the job, but they may indeed help give you an advantage.

Do You Have What it Takes to Work for a Primate Sanctuary? An Interview with Save the Chimps

August 25, 2015Posted inAll articles, Experts & interviews, Featured articles

Save the ChimpsBy Paula Fitzsimmons with J. Christopher Scott

If you’re an animal advocate, you’ve likely heard of The Great Chimpanzee Migration – the nine-year undertaking in which chimps “donated” by the Coulston Foundation were transported from New Mexico to their new sanctuary home in Florida. The organization that took on this monumental task is Save the Chimps, a sanctuary now situated on 150 acres in sub-tropic Fort Pearce.

Do You Have What it Takes to Work for a Wildlife Advocacy Organization? An Interview With Born Free

August 19, 2015Posted inAll articles, Experts & interviews, Featured articles2 Comments

African Elephant

By Paula Fitzsimmons with Adam Roberts

If you’ve thought about a career with a major wildlife advocacy organization, you’re not alone. It’s a dream for many an animal activist. . . so your contributions have to be pretty special.

Passion and a desire to make a difference for animals are, of course, vital to working in this field – but so are other skills and characteristics. To help define what this specifically means, I’ve asked Born Free’s chief executive officer, Adam M. Roberts for his input.

Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees: Help Raise Funds for Animal Nonprofits

May 5, 2015Posted inAll articles, Career options, Featured articles

Money doesn't grow on trees. Help animal nonprofits with fundraising.By Paula Fitzsimmons

An animal nonprofit can be well-respected, have solid goals, and a dedicated group of staff and volunteers. But without adequate funding, most won’t get very far.

For animal rescues & sanctuaries, food, veterinary bills, and land required to house the animals, all cost money. And unlike the image you see in this post, the green stuff doesn’t grow on trees. Sure, people and businesses may at times, donate these products & services; but often not at the level required to care for the hundreds of needy animals they may receive each year.

Want to Make Animals Your Life’s Work? Discover Your Choices

April 30, 2015Posted inAll articles, Career options, Featured articles

Animal jobs and careersBy Paula Fitzsimmons

I’ll assume you’re reading this because you’re crazy about animals, and that you’d love to make a living based on this passion. But your choices may seem limited: Veterinarian. Dog walker. Pet sitter. Groomer. And let’s not forget . . . pooper scooper. These are some of the more common career titles you’ve probably come across while researching animal-centered jobs.

These can be fantastic career paths for some. And they’re quite important, too – what would this planet be like without vets and other animal care providers?