Pet Care Boom Has Employers Begging

She wanted a job that felt more connected and she liked the way massage helped her dog. She went to a pet massage training institute in Ohio to learn the techniques.

Starting a business was daunting -- and she still doesn't like some of the details of running a company -- but she loves teaching owners pet massage in small group classes and individually. She connects with people through her volunteer work at a local shelter, through her Web site or by referrals.

"My goal is: When the dog is happy, the people are happy, too. . . . It's a whole circle of happiness," Kawasumi said.

Williams learned to be a pet nurse on the job, and appreciates having people on call at Banfield's Oregon headquarters to help with questions about new machines. "There are new technologies almost every day," she said, noting that state laws restrict what treatments technicians can perform.

Karën Rasmussen of Annandale also got into dog health practices as a second career, after 20 years in the Navy. When she retired, she worked a bit with her veterinarian while looking at new careers.

She attended a workshop to learn about a pet bodywork technique called TTouch, which uses 30-plus types of touches to relax and calm pets. She "just got hooked," so she spent two years earning her TTouch certification. For four years, she has had "a great part-time business" teaching pet owners the technique. "There aren't enough nights in the week" to see families and their pets, she said.

"This is a career I could be in my 80s and in a nursing home and still doing as long as my hands are working," she said.

While most people in these pet-centric careers say they love the work and their connection with animals, they acknowledge the downsides -- such as having to euthanize an animal or dealing with very sick or abused animals.

Williams said that after a difficult day when a pet dies, she takes her dogs out for a long walk and it "gets me back to normal."