Jobs and Careers Summer 2023 - 214

ANIMAL CHARITIES
Animal care assistant
Working in a rescue or rehoming centre,
you'll be responsible for the day-to-day
feeding, exercising, grooming and
socialising of the animals, and cleaning
out enclosures. You'll work with medical
staff and behaviourists.
What skills and qualifications do I need?
No particular qualifications are required,
although any relevant course, such as a
Level 2 in Animal Care, will show your
knowledge and commitment. You'll
need to be flexible, hard-working and
committed to the animals in your care.
Apprenticeships are available.
How much can I earn? Salaries start at
£14,000, rising to £24,000 with experience.
Progress to rehoming centre manager and
you could earn £30,000 upwards.
Veterinary surgeon
Large welfare charities employ veterinary
staff to treat the animals coming into
their care. You'll carry out tests and scans,
perform surgery (including managing
Animal charities offer many career
opportunities, from rescue and
training to wildlife conservation
anaesthesia), treat diseases and parasites,
and euthanise animals when that is the
kindest option. Emergency cases require
working out-of-hours.
What skills and qualifications do I need?
You'll need a degree in veterinary science,
and to be registered as a member of the
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
You should be passionate about animal
welfare, but able to remain practical
when faced with distressing cases.
How much can I earn? Salaries start at
£30,000, rising to £65,000 as a head vet.
Dog trainer or
behaviourist
Dog trainers and behaviourists assess,
rehabilitate and train rescue dogs so
they can be rehomed. They also train
assistance dogs, such as guide dogs for
the blind and hearing dogs. Large
charities employ full-time trainers and
behaviourists, while smaller charities
hire them on an ad hoc basis.
What skills and qualifications do I need?
There are many accredited courses for dog
trainers (see The Kennel Club website).
Certified behaviourists require an
advanced diploma or degree recognised
by the Animal Behaviour & Training
Council, while assistance dog trainers
qualify through the relevant body. You
need to be experienced and comfortable
working with dogs, including large breeds
with behavioural challenges. You also
need good people skills, as you'll be
training owners, too!
How much can I earn? Dog trainers start
on around £20,000, rising to £28,000
with experience. A behaviourist can
expect £30,000 or more.
Wildlife conservation
officer
You'll work for a charity or public body
to protect wild birds and animals in a
particular location from threats such as
land development. You'll survey and report
214 /// JOBS & CAREERS /// jobsandcareersmag.com
on biodiversity, work on conservation
projects, educate land owners and the
community, and manage volunteers.
What skills and qualifications do I need?
You'll need a degree in conservation,
ecology or a related subject, and previous
volunteering will help. It's also possible to
work your way up from a junior position
or through a traineeship. You'll need to
demonstrate comprehensive knowledge
of land-management practices and
environmental legislation, and the ability
to build relationships with stakeholders.
How much can I earn? Salaries are
around £26,000, rising to £32,000 for
a senior officer.
Find out more
* College of Animal Welfare
caw.ac.uk
* Animal Behaviour
& Training Council
abtc.org.uk
* The Kennel Club
thekennelclub.org.uk
* Royal College of Veterinary
Surgeons
rcvs.org.uk
* The Wildlife Trusts
wildlifetrusts.org
http://caw.ac.uk https://abtc.org.uk/ http://thekennelclub.org.uk http://rcvs.org.uk http://wildlifetrusts.org http://jobsandcareersmag.com
Jobs and Careers Summer 2023

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