It's A Wrap!

As I bring March to a close, I promised I would post the list of Orange Roads for the dream of working with animals. This list was compiled from a very informal survey I took on facebook. The point is simply that when you ask, "Where can I go?" The Orange Roads rise up to meet you! Ask! Ask! Ask!

Here's the list:

Safari Guide

(Domestic or International) Animal Rights Advocate

Animal Dietitian

Parasitologist

Captive Animal Enrichment Specialist

Animal Biologist

FDA Inspector

Veterinarian

Groomer

Pet Sitter

Animal Chiropractor

Dog Walker

Animal Trainer

Zoo Keeper

Farmer

Dog Show Handler

Dog Shoe Helper

Jockey

Rehabilitation Specialist

Animal Educator

Guard Dog Trainer

Therapy Dog Trainer

Pet Psychic

Pooper-Scooper

Ecologist

Zoo Management

Wildlife Specialist

Forest Ranger

Habitat Design

Conservation Manager

Be A Sponsor - Orange Road #9

Every time I discover another Orange Road on the subject of bringing animals into your life, I find it leads me to two more! This one could be an initial step for someone who needs a little more prep time to actually prepare to get animals in their life. Sponsor an animal for someone who is ready to embrace and love that dog, cat, horse, or even a fish!

Sponsoring an animal can be as informal as getting a pet for someone who really wants one to providing ongoing support in terms of food and regular veterinary care. That gift will be the gift that keeps on giving for both (or all) of you!

Working at a Shelter - Orange Road #4

One of my all time favorite words with regard to IWIL is Volunteer. I will bring this up over and over because it is the number one way to learn what it means to really do what you think you want to do.

For opening a door to working with animals in your life, right now, I would say find a local shelter and go sign up to volunteer. The work may not be pretty or pleasant and it's certain to smell bad, but I bet you will connect with a creature that will steal your heart! You know you can't save them all, dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, and even a random goat or pot bellied pig, but being there to show love and affection to even one precious creature will make a difference in this world. You will get to know some of the animals and may even feel compelled to help find them homes. You may also learn a little bit about being a veterinary technician or even some training techniques.

When you volunteer, you not only give of your time, you give of yourself. You will always win when you are learning while giving. Visit http://www.spca.org/ to find a shelter near you. If not there, visit the website for the county you live in and see where your local shelter is. Finally, because he is dear to my heart, Patrick McDonnel artist and creator of Mutts gives back to shelters across the country. Visit the Mutts website and you will find a wealth of information and ways to support organizations that take care of our four legged friends. Click here.

Animals - Orange Road #2

I've done some homework and there are many careers that involve working with all kinds of animals ranging from basic part-time, to very exotic requiring years of education. I want to talk about some of those later in the month because if I have readers who are young and just starting out, they may want to know this info.

For now, let's get back to how Lisa can bring a career with animals into her already very full life. Pet Sitting is another way to make some extra money and spend time with animals that are not your kids. Pet sitting can be for dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, mice, and even fish. A schedule will have to be worked out as to if the animals come to Lisa's house or if she needs to go to them, but this is a way to incorporate working with animals without making a hug shift in her current lifestyle. Some of the other benefits to offering pet sitting services are you can decide when you are taking pets and when you are not. You can also pick and choose which pets you will take and you can set your rates.

I feel it's my responsibility to provide you with a warning about the liability of being a pet sitter and the false sense of security insurance can provide. My beloved Riley was with a pet sitter when he had a deadly accident. It was just that, an accident but my pet sitter had a legitimate pet sitting business, she was insured. As it turned out, because what happened was not her fault, or she wasn't negligent, the insurance didn't cover her or Riley's death. She was as devastated as we were and she felt ripped off as she had paid for insurance for nearly ten years and when she needed it, she learned it was worthless. Had she done something to cause Riley's death, they may have covered her, but we don't know. I am not someone who operates from a place of fear, but I am one who likes to know what's real.

With that said, I think pet sitters are wonderful people who love our pets the way we do while we are away.

Welcome To March!

Here we are, starting month three of 2011! As the saying goes, time flies when you're having fun, and I am with Intentional Winning in Life. I love thinking of ways that people can do what it is they really want to be doing, starting right now. It doesn't matter if they have to work full time to pay their bills, I believe there is something they can do right now.

This month we are working on a Dream Not Come True (DNCT) that came from my dear friend Lisa A. Lisa loves her current career but said she has always dreamed of making a living working with animals. I queried her as to what kind of animals and why she had never pursued the dream. She said she loves dogs and horses and felt like her only real option for a career with animals would be to be a veterinarian, to which see continued she didn't have the patience to get the education required. Do you remember when you finished high school? Four or more years of school seemed like an eternity.

That's all water under the bridge because we are all many Orange Roads later, let's get ready to spend this month talking about ways to incorporate working with animals into Lisa's life today.