Careers changing laws, modifying behavior, or affecting culture are among the most dramatic as well as diverse animal-related professions.  Careers creating social change include fields like

• Activism
  
        Learn how The HSUS Factory Farming Campaign works to ease the suffering of billions of farm animals. The campaign uses a range of strategies such as corporate outreach, grassroots advocacy, and legal and legislative challenges.
  
  
• Legal, ethical or legislative careers
  
  
• Careers in international policy that may require global travel and proficiency in several languages, as well as understanding of many nations’ legal systems, trade policies, and the requirements of international wildlife treaties.

               Meet Neil Trent, Humane Society International's
          Executive Director.

               Learn about the Convention on International Trade in
          Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) an 
          international cooperation to safeguard certain species from
          over-exploitation in international trade

• Human services professionals who work with human clients in areas such as social work, psychology, child protective services. 
  
       People in these areas may be interested in learning about the connection between animal cruelty and human violence (consider taking the HSU online course First Strike: Cruelty to Animals and Interpersonal Violence)
  
  
• Teachers and other careers in education 
  
        Learn more about humane education and environmental education
  
        Learn more about the use of animals in education — The HSUS offers a wide variety of information for teachers and students pertaining to dissection and the use of animals in education.

Get Involved!

The Humane Action Network is a grassroots network of dedicated animal advocates who work to pass animal protection legislation and actively participate in campaigns to protect animals from cruelty and suffering.

Subscribe to HumaneLines, The HSUS' free weekly electronic alert that keeps you up to date on all the hot issues in animal protection. 

Lobbying 101 training documents enhance your lobbying techniques. You do not need any prior experience to help pass pro-animal legislation; all you need is the determination to communicate with those who represent you in your local, state, and federal governments.

Learn about The HSUS Government Affairs department's activities.

High school students and younger, learn about the Dissection Campaign Packet and the need to replace the practice of killing and cutting up animals for education with effective, humane alternatives

Attend the Taking Action for Animals Conference designed to motivate, skill, and inspire activists nationwide

Consider an internship helping farm animals with Farm Sanctuary

Suggested Readings and Activities to Learn More

Sirch, Willow Ann.  2000.  Careers with Animals.  Fulcrum.  (Part Six:  Specialty Careers).

Jackson, Donna.  2000.  The Wildlife Detectives:  How Forensic Scientists Fight Crimes Against Nature.  Houghton Mifflin.

Francione, Gary.  1995.  Animals, Property,and the Law.  Temple University Press. Listen and Learn.

Balcombe, Jonathan, PhD.  2000. The Use of Animals in Higher Education: Problems, Alternatives, and Recommendations.  Humane Society Press.

Listen to an archived NPR interview with noted animal rights attorney, Steven Wise, about his book Rattling the Cage: Towards Legal Rights for Animals (Perseus Books, 2001).

• Why does Wise think legal rights should be expanded to include animals?
• Why does he think chimpanzees and bonobos should be the first animals to be accorded rights?
• Do you agree with his arguments?
• Can you think of an alternate viewpoint?

Check the news for animal-related law and policy conflicts.

• Find a news story on tv, radio, internet, or elsewhere that describes conflicts over animal- or nature-related law & policy.  Can you identify the roles that different law & policy professionals may be playing in the conflict?
  
• Which profession do you think will be the most important to resolving the situation? Which job would you most enjoy in this situation?