The Small Animal Care Industry- Part I

1
The Small Animal Care Industry- Part I
2
Benefits to society

• Economic benefit from thousands of jobs and 32
  billion dollars input into the national economy
• Social benefit of small animals serving as
  companions and pets to almost 60 of all American
  families. Children learn responsibility and
  social skills and elderly benefit from improved
  quality of life as a result of keeping pets

3
Benefits to society

• Valuable means of testing and developing new
  products such as drugs and vaccines in a
  laboratory and research setting. (Hepatitis,
  diphtheria, tetanus, and polio vaccines were
  perfected through small animal research)

4
Benefits to society

• Small animals are being used in pet therapy to
  help patients overcome illness, improve vital
  signs, relieve depression, and provide a better
  quality of life for senior citizens and the
  disabled

5
Benefits to society

• Dogs, in particular, are useful as watch dogs,
  police dogs, and seeing eye dogs
• Rabbits are useful as an excellent source of meat
  that is low in cholesterol, sodium, and fat while
  being a highly palatable food source for protein

6
Benefits to society

• Some small animals are used to provide products
  such as fur/wool for the production of coats,
  hats, gloves, and other articles of clothing

7
Benefits to society

• Exhibition of animals provides entertainment in
  zoos, circus acts, etc and increases and
  appreciation for animals
• Rabbits are one of the more versatile small
  animals in that they are raised not only for pets
  but for food, clothing, and research purposes also

8
Economic Impact

• 10,500-11,000 retail pet stores produce 21
  billion in sales
• Biomedical research supported by 15 billion in
  taxes and charity used 65-100 million small
  animals

9
Economic Impact

• 6 million small animals were used in educational
  facilities for dissection
• 4 million small animals were used for the LD50
  (lethal dose 50) test

10
Economic Impact

• Americans spend 20.3 billion per year on pets
• Vet expenses exceed 11 billion annually. Dogs
  require twice as much for veterinary care as cats
  and more than any other small animal
• Pet food manufacturers produce 9.0 billion in
  sales

11
General pet ownership

• There are about 7 million more cats than dogs,
  with each cat owner averaging owning 2 cats
• However, dogs are found in more households than
  cats
• Fish, birds, and rabbits rank third, fourth, and
  fifth as far as pet ownership

12
Types of Jobs

• Pet industry is just one small area of small
  animal care and management. Other jobs are lab
  animal care, zoo animal care, animal health,
  animal training, and in the area of biological
  sciences

13
Types of Jobs

• Jobs to supply food, equipment, and healthcare to
  small animals
• Research in hospitals, colleges and universities,
  diagnostic labs, and private firms in the
  pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries

14
Types of Jobs

• Exhibitors operate animal acts, carnivals,
  circuses, public zoo, and marine mammal displays

15
Small animal careers and jobs

• Pet care workers many types provide many
  services to small animal owners. They are
  employed in boarding kennels, animal hospitals,
  animal shelters, pet stores, pet training
  schools, and pet grooming parlors

16
Small animal careers and jobs

• Kennel attendants feed and care for animals and
  keep kennels clean
• Animal groomers bathe pets and brush the pet and
  keep hair and nails trimmed

17
Small animal careers and jobs

• Dog trainers teach dogs to obey signals or
  commands, hunt, herd, or track, to guard lives or
  lead the blind

18
Small animal careers and jobs

• Small animal breeders raise and market
  fur-bearing animals, animals for sale to pet
  shops, labs, and for the general public, they
  also arrange matings and care for females and the
  young. Usually specialize in one breed.

19
Small animal careers and jobs

• Pet shop owners care for small animals they
  offer for sale, they offer a variety of small
  animals and need to be knowledgeable in running a
  business and dealing with customers

20
Small animal careers and jobs

• Pet shop manager run the daily pet store
  operations

21
Small animal careers and jobs

• Vets Doctors of veterinary medicine, treat, and
  control animal injuries and diseases. They also
  vaccinate animals against disease, and inspect
  animals and meat products used for food.

22
Vets

• They will also perform surgery, set broken bones,
  establish diet and exercise routines, and
  prescribe medicines.
• 1/3 of vets in US treat only small animals

23
Small animal careers and jobs

• Dealers people who sell lab animals for research
  and teaching
• Vet technicians assist vet and other members of
  the vet staff in diagnosing and treating animals
  for injuries, illness, and routine vet needs,
  this can include vaccinations and routine checkups

24
Skills and credentials

• Previous experience as an animal keeper or an
  aquarist
• Part-time or volunteer work in animal shelters,
  pet shops, or vet clinics

25
THE END