"The aim of argument or of discussion should not be victory, but progress." - Joseph Joubert
Animal welfare is at the heart of everything we do at Jobs With Animals. That includes being transparent about which roles we promote and which we don't, and why.
Our guiding principle
We list roles where the work itself contributes to animal welfare, or where the person in that role has a genuine ability to improve animal outcomes from within their organisation or sector.
What we cover
We cover roles where animal welfare is the primary purpose - veterinary, rescue, rehabilitation, conservation, education, research and training.
We also cover roles in sectors where there are genuine welfare debates, because we believe that engaged, passionate professionals working from within make a real difference. This includes zoological collections, working animal organisations, and equestrian sport and industry.
Science and education roles are included where the focus is on studying animals for their benefit, improving welfare outcomes, or educating the next generation of animal professionals. This includes zoology, conservation science, veterinary education and animal management teaching.
We include farming and agriculture roles where animal welfare is a genuine consideration - conservation grazing, farm animal welfare positions, smallholding work and roles where the person in post has real influence over how animals are kept and cared for. We assess these individually rather than applying a blanket approach.
We include equestrian roles broadly but not horse racing. We recognise that most equestrian disciplines don't carry the structural welfare concerns that the racing industry does, where the commercial model creates risks that are difficult for individuals to change from within.
What we don't cover
We don't list roles in industries where the commercial model creates a structural incentive to harm or exploit animals:
This isn't the final word
Animal ethics is contested territory. Reasonable people disagree, and we expect our own thinking to evolve. If you think we've got something wrong or have constructive feedback, we'd genuinely like to hear from you. Reach out at admin@jobswithanimals.co.uk