Ever Thought of a Career with Animals??

All I knew when was a really young was I loved animals and that animal lovers become veterinarians.  All my best friend and I talked about were animals and becoming vets.  Well as life happened, she went to vet school, I didn't.  But I hadn't given up the dream quite yet.  When my friend graduated, she walked me through the school and into an area where the large animals were being treated for medical problems.  I came close to vomiting when I saw a cow with a hole in it's upper side as she explain the hole was there so they could reach inside the cow for some medical purpose.  That closed the book for me on even thinking of being a veterinarian!  For some reason it had never occurred to me that a vet was a doctor or the part of the medical field.  I just wanted to take care of animals, not cut them open.  And that dream died for the better.

Well, I still wanted to take care of animals, what better place to work than at a boarding establishment?  I worked for two different places, one was a boarding and training facility and the other was for a vet who also boarded.  Well, neither of these panned out for me.  Giving food, water and a short potty break, wasn't exactly what I had in mind.  It was also rather difficult for me not being able to spend more time with these dogs that were in their crates for hours on end, with only the 10-15 minutes I was allowed to take care of them.  I kept looking for a more personal relationship with the dog and time just wouldn't allow it.  I also discovered that I really didn't enjoy taking care of other people's dogs and that I only wanted to spend my time focusing on my dog and so the boarding experience came to a halt.

Time passes...

I still wanted to work with animals in some way, so later on down the road, I tried my hand at grooming.  I worked for a mobile company that was fairly innovative at the time.  In this huge van we drove to people's homes, plugged into their power, and groomed and bathed dogs and cats.  Since I didn't have a clue what I was doing, I was there to help and watch.  The whole experience was pretty interesting.  I didn't get to find out if I liked it or not, as I ended up having to move. So after I had settled in, I tried again with at another grooming place. I found that the whole "puff and fluff" thing was not for me.  I personally thought the dogs looked better when they came in all shaggy then when they left looking prim and proper.  Not exactly the best doggie stylist motto!  This is where I discovered I preferred low maintenance dogs when it came to all things fur.  I mean, WHEN the dogs do get a bath, I let them run around the house and roll in the dirt afterwards.  Wash-n-go, my kind of style!  So needless to say, I cut my losses with my professional grooming ideas.

Then I had one last plight.  I was going to college and thinking of going into wildlife biology, particularly the study of behavior.  I have always had a dream of studying tigers, until I couldn't afford to go to school anymore.  Enter husband.  Then, Alex, Silver, Brut, the Power of Ten litter, Zappa, Fiona, Blaze and Chance and somehow I've been able to do everything I wanted.  A part-time vet, caretaker, relaxed groomer, and behaviorist while devoting all my time to them.  Not only do I get to fulfill all my doggie dreams, but I get to do what I love most, write about all of them.  What better "career" could there be?

And to all of those that do work in the field of animals, thank you for your effortless love and dedication with our loved ones.

Our paws are off to you!