5 ways you can do work experience with animals

5 ways you can do work experience with animals Youve got a precious few weeks before uni rolls around again and you get swamped with coursework, so its time to think about how youre going to use that time wisely. Go on holiday? Take up a new hobby? Sit in your room researching Game of Thrones fan theories for 8 hours a day? (Not me at all) Theres no better way to use your time than by volunteering to help our fellow furry creatures.  Whether its doggos or puppers, horses or hedgehogs, work experience with animals is about the most fun you can have while not getting paid. Plus, youll be building valuable experience you can pop on your CV. Even if youre not studying zoology, employers always look favourably on volunteering experience, and youll be able to demonstrate how the skills you learnt transfer across to other areas. There are plenty of options available if you want to get some work experience (going to the nearby cat cafe doesnt count), and here are just a few: Volunteer at your nearest animal shelter Probably the best way to get some work experience with animals is by working at your local animal shelter. These are the pooches and paws that are in need of a bit of extra love often abandoned, abused or ran away from home. Local animal shelters are normally desperate for volunteers to help with cleaning, feeding and exercising their four-legged inmates, so as long as youre willing to get your hands dirty, youll be welcome. Check out organisations like the RSPCA and Dogs Trust who have established volunteering programmes in place that you can get involved with. Just be warned its very easy to get attached to cute canines and your housemates probably wont be too impressed if you bring a new addition home with you! Go to your nearest farm This one depends on how close to the countryside youre based,  but if youve got a farm close at hand its a great opportunity. While you might not have the skills to work on a professional working farm, these days there are loads of farm parks designed for families to come along and feed the animals think donkey rides for 5-year-olds and greedy horses stealing bags of food. These places are much more likely to be open to receiving volunteers, whether its cleaning out the pigsty or helping at childrens birthday party. And if you can handle animals and children, you can handle anything. Get a job at your local pet shop Those pet shops that stock live animals like puppies and kittens are (thankfully) a thing of the past, but we do still have the likes of Pets At Home. Here you can get small animals like guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters, and youll often see dogs and their owners wandering through the toy section. They unfortunately dont take on volunteers but you can apply for a part-time job in any of their stores   just keep checking for available openings. Work at a zoo or aquarium Now Im not the biggest fan of zoos and aquariums, but many of them do some very important conservation work and research that has had a positive impact on the animal kingdom. Different zoos will have different policies when it comes to getting involved, but the Zoological Society of London (who run London Zoo) ask for a commitment of one full day a week. Its not as glamorous as it might seem though. Youll have to get involved in some pretty messy work come rain or shine, but youll be rewarded with working with some of the most majestic creatures on the planet. Plus, youll sure have plenty of stories to impress your mates with when you head back to uni. Become a dogsitter or dog walker This is one of the only ways you might get paid to work with animals, but its a tricky business to get into. People arent going to hand over their precious poodles to any old person, so if you want to set yourself up as a professional dog walker, you will have to get a background check and an official license. An easier way around this, though, is just to offer to walk your neighbours dogs for them; if they know and trust you, theyre likely to be fine with it. Just be wary  of websites that offer quick fix routes to looking after other peoples dogs, as they sometimes have hidden catches. And dont forget to hand the dogs back to their owners at the end of the day we know how easy it is to get attached. Doing work experience with animals is a really fun way to do something different and beneficial over the summer, but its not all cuddles and pats. Its hard work, you have to be dedicated and animals tend not to care about the rain as much as humans do. Only dedicated animal lovers need apply. Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for more careers insight