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Making a career in rescue?
Do any of you make a career out of rescuing or know someone who does? I have a good friend who really wants make a job out of helping animals but doesn't know how to get started. She currently works at a dog daycare and has helped rescue dogs on an individual basis, so she has experience working with dogs, but doesn't have a lot of experience with rescues. She is trying to figure out if she needs to get a college degree, and if so, in what, and she wants to hear any other advice you have. I've already told her to get involved with an organization here but are some organizations better than others (non-"franchise" rescues vs the SPCA or humane society)?
Also, hey! I hope that everyone is doing well lately! An update here: Fetch just got complimented on how well behaved he was when we were out on a walk. He's doing much better about barking at people! I'm so proud!
Re: Making a career in rescue?
HSUS offers classes. They even do Bachelor's degrees. I have considered getting one of their graduate certificates.
ASPCA has tons of jobs all over the US, including some that are work from home sort of deals.
Our local HS is always trying to hire receptionists and adoption coordinators; these require lower levels of education and don't pay a ton, but are a good way to get a foot in the door to that sort of career.
My Lunch Blog
I have several friends who work at different levels (and in different capacities). I have a few friends who are adoption counselors at the local animal control shelter. I doubt they could support themselves on the salary. I know one at least only has a high school degree, and for the last 14 years was a stay-at-home mom. She started out as a volunteer and foster mom.
Another friend was a trainer at the local SPCA, but left to start her own training business. She was also contacted to be the trainer for a local program that pairs prisoners with shelter dogs. She also mentioned being contacted by HSUS to participate in their anti-dog-fighting campaign, but I don't know if she accepted that. Obviously, she has specialty schooling in animal behavior (she's a CPDT).
Another friend (well, more friend-of-a-friend) is manager at another local SPCA. She has a college degree (in political science). I don't know if a degree was a requirement of the job, though. She also started out as a volunteer.
DH works in rescue PT while attending school. He's a volunteer manager (manages and creates volunteer programs and coordinates events, he is not a volunteer himself) and has no educational background for it. He got the job through an internal posting I heard about when I was volunteering for a local Humane Society. It began as a very part-time assistant position and turned into a salaried managerial position over the course of a few months.
He's worked at two different shelters, the first was a "no-kill" that was actually a high-kill (they "strived" to be a no-kill) and he became a certified euthanasia technician there. I wouldn't wish that on anyone and it was very hard on him, but drove him to work even harder to get as many volunteers and adoptions as he could. It was heartbreaking work and the shelter also housed a lot of dogs that had been confiscated during dogfighting raids, so it was also dangerous at times.
His current position is mostly work from home doing the same kind of work, but for a rescue that does not have a shelter so he does not do euthanizations. He does help out manning the front desk at their low-cost clinic one day a week and helps out at events and with event planning.
I'd recommend getting a foot in the door somewhere by volunteering or getting a part time job (front desk, etc). Turnover is generally extremely high, so even a small role in a less than desirable job can turn into something much more.
Feel free to PM me for more info!