Animal Careers Without Touching Animals (much of the time)
There are many careers that benefit animals that don't involve handling them (at least much of the time). A partial list follows. The emphasis is on pet-related careers (but we include some other animal-related jobs as well). Contact me if you have careers to add. See if any of these jobs appeal to you.
Jobs Can Be
Indoor
Outdoor
At a desk or moving around
Working from home
Examples of Settings that Can Have an Animal-related Mission
Colleges and universities (example, research labs)
Foundations (that have an animal-related mission such as the PetSmart Foundation)
Corporations
Government
Animal Shelters
Magazines/Journals
Professional associations (example, the American Veterinary Medical Association)
Advertising firms
Law firms (specialized) and courtrooms (example, Animal Legal Defense Fund)
Animal hospitals
Insurance companies
Stores
Online sales (example, Chewy)
Manufacturing
Examples of Jobs*
For example, specialized social workers can help people overcome the death of their pets. More examples: sales of animal-related products; handling finances for veterinary hospitals; writing grants to raise money so shelters can save animals; and being deans of students at veterinary schools (vet degree not usually required). You can make a difference and help animals without ever touching one.
Animal activist (example, working for PETA)
Baker/Cook, animal food and treats
Collector and seller of animal-related items (such as Breyer toy horses and Steiff stuffed animals)
Courtroom Animal Advocate (generally a volunteer position)
Customer service
Doula, End of Life (EOL) for those losing companion animals (here's a link to the University of Vermont's certificate program)
Entrepreneur, your own business
Database management, IT, App developer
Fear Free Trainer (teach people techniques that decrease anxiety of animals in shelters and veterinary offices)
Finance for a shelter, animal hospital or private company that is animal affiliated
Fundraiser/Grant writer for a shelter
Human resources
Insurance sales/Adjuster (pet insurance)
Journalist, issues about animals
Lawyer, pet
Lobbyist (for animal causes)
Nonprofit administrator--overseeing volunteers, service animal organizations, and more
Policy/Budget analyst--legislation affecting animals
Pooper scooper, clean up people's yards
Program Manager
PR (Public relations), including social media
Researcher, university or other environment
Sales, Pet company, for example for a company that makes treats or pet toys
Shelter manager
Social worker
Special events manager to call attention to animal causes, eg, need for adoption
Teacher, animal husbandry or other
Writer (also see Journalist), fiction and nonfiction
*The included links describe careers in general but may not be specific to pet specialization