If you’ve grown up loving animals, a career as a veterinarian or a veterinary nurse might have crossed your mind.But these aren’t the right choices for everyone. You might want to work with animals, but not necessarily treat them when they’re sick.My niece, Sofia, is already considering a career with animals, so I brought her to visit Dogs Trust, one of Ireland’s leading dog rescue and welfare organisations, at its base near Finglas in Dublin. We found a wide variety of different people working across different roles – education programme manager, dog welfare assistants, trainers, dog groomers, vets and veterinary nurses. Many received their training through further education and training courses in animal care, welfare and science. Others trained on the job while, in 2024, Dogs Trust launched the Lead and Learn Academy, which provides training for professionals who want to work with dogs.Grace Kelly-Murtagh is a veterinary nurse at Dogs Trust. “I always wanted to work with animals, but I didn’t know if I wanted to be a vet or not. After school, I didn’t have the CAO points to study veterinary nursing, so I enrolled in a level five animal care PLC course at the Dún Laoghaire Further Education Institute. “They gave us an introduction to what it might be like as a vet or vet nurse. But I also learned about animal grooming, nutrition, behaviour, anatomy and more.”The PLC at Dún Laoghaire has progression routes to several third-level courses so, while places are not guaranteed, graduates could potentially progress to veterinary nursing in UCD, Dundalk IT or TUS; science at DCU or UCD; wildlife biology at MTU, and more. As PLC courses operate outside the CAO points system, it makes them accessible to a wider range of learners, and they are delivered by the education and training boards (ETBs) nationwide at little or no cost. The courses are usually one, but sometimes two, years in duration. “On a college veterinary course, there would be some chemistry, so we even learned some of that on the PLC,” Kelly-Murtagh says. “I decided I did want to work as a veterinary nurse, and the PLC was my route into Athlone IT (now part of TUS), where I learned the skills I needed to work as a veterinary nurse.Grace Kelly-Murtagh, a veterinary nurse at Dogs Trust in Finglas, says her favourite part of the job is seeing dogs leave to go to a happy home. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien “I’m really glad, however, that I did that PLC. Even if you get the points to go straight into college, I would really recommend doing that PLC, because it is less intense than college and so serves as a good bridge and I learned so much there.”Working as part of the animal welfare team at Dogs Trust, Kelly-Murtagh is involved in anaesthesia, phlebotomy and clinical exams, before handing her results over to their vet, Rachel. She says her favourite part of the job is when she sees dogs leave to go to a happy home.Still, as a rescue dog, there are worse places to be. Dogs Trust is a significant operation, with 96 staff across its animal care and welfare and operations, as well as 150 active volunteers. Dogs Trust does not put down healthy dogs, and the dogs there are not just provided with food, shelter and exercise. Dogs Trust uses a digital, colour-coded board that keeps track of every dog, their progress and development, and whether they are ready to be rehomed. We see instructions for Dante, and how he should not be around the tennis balls that he likes to eat. The board also, however, has a picture of a happy dog leaving with their new forever family.[ Legislation to end Ireland’s reputation as ‘puppy farm capital of Europe’ advancesOpens in new window ]For a place full of dogs, it’s spotlessly clean, with laundry and blankets washed daily – particularly important for dogs who may have been rescued from dirty conditions. There’s a grooming operation, there are animal trainers and behavioural specialists, and even a “mutt-ernity ward” where pregnant dogs are brought in by the pound and supported through birth and those first few months of nursing.Owners often struggle with training dogs – particularly when the dog enters the adolescent phase of around eight to nine months and becomes more difficult to manage. Dogs Trust has behaviourists, who on occasion do home consults to support owners and minimise the likelihood of the dog being surrendered. Karen Scolard's role as Dogs Trust learning programme manager includes providing training for the growing number of people who want a career working with animals. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien/The Irish Times Karen Scolard is learning programme manager with Dogs Trust, and her role includes providing training for the growing number of people who want a career working with animals. “Our flagship programme, dog training essentials, is eight weeks long and focuses on animal welfare, dog body language and the foundations of behaviour and training,” Scolard says.“Some of our course participants simply love dogs and want to deepen their knowledge, but many want to be professional dog trainers, or set up their own doggy daycare, walking or grooming business – and many have been successful in doing so.Karen McLoughlin, kennel supervisor at Dogs Trust. “One woman who completed an early course that we offered is now running her own dog sitting and dog walking business in the southeast of Ireland.“For people who are considering a career with dogs, but aren’t sure, they can also be an accessible and inexpensive investment to help them decide if they want to move into an FET or college course working with animals.” As we leave, we pass through the memorial garden where a sculpture with dog tags remembers all the canines that have passed through. It’s a fitting note to end on. For every dog whose tag hangs there, there was a team of people – vets, nurses, trainers, groomers – who got them through it. It’s that quieter, unglamorous work, done by people who found their own winding routes into it, that Sofia is now weighing up for herself.Animal care courses to considerPre-University Animal Science, level five at O’Fiach College, Dundalk. Progression opportunities to level 7/8 degree courses.Horsemanship, level five at College of FET, Croom Campus, opportunities for employment in equine sectors and progression to Green Cert and Level 6 in equine breeding.Animal care assistant, level five at Cork College of FET, with opportunities for progression.For more, search FetchCourses.ieMaeve Furlong, animal welfare inspector with Dublin City Council’s animal welfare and control unit Maeve FurlongAnimal welfare inspector with Dublin City Council’s animal welfare and control unitI currently work as an inspector in the Animal Welfare and Control Unit with Dublin City Council. My role involves responding to reports of animal cruelty and neglect and investigating offences under legislation that I am authorised to enforce, including the Control of Dogs Act 1986, the Control of Horses Act 1996, the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, and the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.No two days are the same. The work varies greatly depending on what has been reported or what is happening across the city. One day I could be assisting An Garda Síochána during an operation involving a serious dog-bite incident, while the next I might be inspecting stables housing carriage horses.I have always been passionate about animals, particularly horses and dogs. Growing up, I rode horses, volunteered at local stables, and attended obedience classes each week with my pet dog through the Irish Kennel Club that used to run in the national show centre in Swords.I left school before completing my Leaving Certificate. I wasn’t entirely sure what career path I wanted to follow, but I knew it would involve animals. Thanks to my years of volunteering, I had built up a lot of practical experience and was fortunate to be considered for both the internship and the equine course.I then completed a six-month internship with a professional showjumping yard, where I learned the skills required to work as a groom. Following this, I completed a Solas course in horsemanship in 2015, where I obtained British Horse Society qualifications in horseriding instruction and yard management.Maeve Furlong, Dublin City Council animal welfare inspector, out with the gardaí During the Covid-19 pandemic I became unemployed, like many others, and it gave me an opportunity to reassess my career options. I started exploring courses that would allow me to expand my knowledge and qualifications, which is when I discovered the animal science level five course at Killester College. Once I did it, I knew I wanted to continue learning and progressed to the advanced animal science level six programme.The courses provided a well-rounded education in animal science. I completed modules in biology, animal anatomy and physiology, animal behaviour and welfare, and studied a wide range of domestic and wild species. We also covered animal husbandry and gained practical experience in areas such as dog training and grooming.I worked in the equine industry until 2023 in a variety of roles, gaining valuable practical experience across the sector. I started my role in Dublin City Council 2023 after finishing the advanced animal science level six course.The position I hold requires a Fetac qualification. Before attending Killester College, I would not have been eligible to apply for the role. The knowledge and qualifications I gained through the courses gave me both the confidence and the credentials needed to pursue a career in animal welfare and enforcement.Since joining Dublin City Council, I have continued to upskill and pursue further training opportunities. I obtained an emergency first responder qualification through training at the O’Brien Institute with Dublin Fire Brigade and have completed a range of additional certifications in dog handling and safe animals.I would encourage anyone considering an animal care course to explore the opportunities available within local government, particularly in animal welfare or dog control services. These roles offer rewarding careers where you can make a real difference to both animals and the wider community.