Advice for Finding a Job (kitty related)

Hello

Due to unfortunate events I've found myself to be unemployed. The only experience I have is working in a brewery/factory and I'm not really wanting to do the factory thing again. Aside from that I've working a couple of coffee shops and restaurants. Not the most outstanding resume.

Now that I have the chance/challenge of finding a new field of work I find myself wondering what sort of job I could get working with animals. Not a pet store, but maybe a shelter.

Do any of you have animal/cat related jobs? What type of job is it? What were your qualifications to help you get your job?
Right now the only place I can think to apply is at the local animal shelter or a humane society. I could do office work, or work with the animals directly, it's no difference to me.

Advice?

I think you might have to have some kind of qualification to work directly with animals-you do over here in the UK. Many start by volunteering and then get the opportunity to train etc. Apparently its not that well paid either. As to officey stuff within the organisations - perhaps you could just fire off your cv to any local ones on the off chance they are looking for someone. Or call in and offer your services on a part time voluntary basis and see where that gets you. That may be the way to go to start with
Good luck in your search.
Alexis

I saw a few shops along Yonge (between College and Bloor) looking to hire. Saw their ads on the window. Also, think Dominion at College park is hiring. But obviously all these are not animal related. Just to tide you over until you find a job you like.

Or you could just give the animal shelters a call

West Region
146 The East Mall
phone: 416-338-6271
fax: 416-338-6272

Central Region
2700 Eglinton Ave. W.
phone: 416-338-6281
fax: 416-338-6282

North Region
1300 Sheppard Ave. W.
phone: 416-338-8723
fax: 416-338-8585

South Region
Horse Palace, Exhibition Place
140 Princes' Blvd.
phone: 416-338-6668
fax: 416-338-6688

East Region
821 Progress Ave.
phone: 416-338-7539
fax: 416-338-7536

Animal Care Workers

Non-medical:

High school or part-time college courses:


Aquarist
Animal control officer
Animal shelter worker
Animal trainers
Breeders handling assistant
Conservation park attendant
Dog handler
Dog trainer
Grooming assistant
Horse hotwalker
Kennel attendant
Kennel keeper
Lab animal attendant
Pet sitter
Pet shop worker/owner
Public education worker
Receiving barn custodian
Veterinary clinic attendant
Zoo attendant

With additional courses, and/or some medical training:


Animal health technologist
Animal care facility manager breeder
Certified master groomer
Circus attendant
Dog training school owner
Drooming instructor

-----

Veterinarian technician

Para-medical:

College diploma


Biomedical research assistant
Clinic manager
Diagnostic lab technician
Exotic animal practice assistant
Food animal inspector
Livestock health manager
Pharmaceutical sales
Public health officer
Shelter manager
Teacher
Veterinary technician
Bookeeper

Ontario colleges offering animal care and/or veterinary technician programs:

College Boreal, New Liskeard (www.borealc.on.ca)

Georgian College, Newmarket/Midland/Barrie (www.georgianc.on.ca)

Northern College, Haileybury (www.northernc.on.ca)

Ridgetown College, Ridgetown (www.ridgetownc.on.ca)

Seneca College, King City (www.senecac.on.ca)

St. Clair College, Windsor (www.stclairc.on.ca)

Sheridan College, Oakville (www.sheridanc.on.ca)

St Lawrence College, Kingston (www.sl.on.ca)

Opps and of course University of Toronto, after all my friend's 1st degree is zoology.

What on earth is a Horse hotwalker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some stuff about a hotwalker from the university of toronto.

http://varsity.utoronto.ca:16080/arc...hotwalker.html

tulip- a hotwalker is someone who cools out an exercised horse. If you just put a heated horse into the stall after a run or work out, the horse could develop colic or other complications. You walk them to cool them out, bring down their body temperatures and relax their muscles. If for example you jump on a horse and ride him at a full gallop up and down a few hills, then stop him at a creek to get a drink of cold water, that horse, in his over-heated state could get sick. Anytime you work a horse into a sweat you hotwalk them at least 25 minutes, you on the ground leading. Then using the grooming tools like a sweat scraper, you get rid of the dried sweat and then brush the horse out. Once you know it is safe to return him to paddock and or stall then you do so.

Professional hotwalkers work for horse tracks and other horse industry type jobs. They also have a machine that hotwalks horses where you can connect up to 8-10 horses at a time and then they just walk in a circle to cool out.

Oh it makes sense now - thanks. I have seen those machines on the telly. It must make you mad when you see those films when the horses rush about ninety to the dozen and screech to halt and drink out of rivers and such just KNOWING that in real life they'd get ill.
Bumpy thanks for the link - not bad 10$ a hour for walking up and down.

Thanks Bumpy, that list of colleges is a nice help. I'm definitly not looking for a quick job in the mean time. I'm on EI and although I don't intend to sponge the system I'm going to look for a job that fits me.
As for a job that doesn't pay well, as long as the work is rewarding I don't mind.

Do you know any petsitting businesses in your neighborhood? They are often happy to have more help, and if you're like me with cats, you probably would be a sure thing to do some petsitting! It's a flexible kind of work, and may not pay tons, but it's not like you have to enforce laws or deal with many unhappy people!

I just heard a newsreport on citypulse(?) actually cannot really remember but they were talking about this dog walker in Toronto who makes $100,000 a year and drives a BMW. So it seems dog walking has quite a potential.

hahaha, who would think it? But I can't imagine being one of those people with a dozen dogs on leashes at once. I'm sure they could drag down 135 pounds of no muscle pretty fast.