((Feel free to skip my ramblings and go directly to the question at hand, denoted with **))

I'm currently completing a university animal science degree, and the time to get out into the "real world" is approaching.

I'm one of those people how need a goal to work towards, I can't just "see where things lead me". This goal has been vet-med on/off for most of my life, and I have already jumped through many of the hoops I need to enter the program (things a run a little differently in North America, you can't just enter into a specialty field of study right out of high school).

I think the major reason I was pursuing vet-med was because I needed a goal to get me through, not because I was sincerely interested in it. Now I am looking for an alternate career path. One that will lend itself to a relatively comfortable lifestyle.

My one solid requirement is that I must be in direct contact with animals, preferably not just dogs/cats. I have ruled out research work, zoo keeping and feed/nutrition work. As well as grooming, training, "pet-sitting" and all of the other annoying suggestions you find on "animal jobs" websites. It seems that ALL animal based jobs pay shit money due to being very high in demand and low in ultimate necessity. Vet-med being the exception, though still being the lowest payed medical field.

I have always fully enjoyed doing my own husbandry research for potential pets and also helping friends and family with "pet shopping" so to speak. Seeing the excitement and content that an animal brings to someones life has always thrilled me, especially when I helped in the process. And of course I'm not afraid of dirty/smelly/hard work.
All of this has lead me to consider the pet selling industry.

**What kind of money does an owner of an ethically sound shop (including small furies, herps, fish, birds, NO live CATS/DOGS but stocking dog/cat apparel) come out with after taking into consideration that a new business makes little to no profit in the first 2-3 years?
I understand that it's all about the "love" and doing it because it's what you "love" to do. But come on, we've all got to feed, house and cloth ourselves as well as have some sort of social life. Let's not even bring up supporting a family!
What is the most profitable area in pet sales (knowing full well that it's the set-ups and trinkets that make the money, not the animals themselves)? I've heard through the grape vine that aquatics are usually the big ticket.

Feel free to throw out any comments or alternate career suggestions.

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if you're looking to make money, don't get into the pet shop business, period. If you're main goal is to turn a profit, the animals WILL suffer for it. I'm not sure the economic stability of Canada right now, but at least here we're in a recession, which isn't a great time to start a business selling luxury items. If you like working 60h a week unpaid for a year+, maybe this is the right business for you. Also check your area for competition. If there's none you can probably do alright, but any will really cut the profit margin down considerably, hopefully it will still be above your overheads.

The other thing is it's not something you can get away from as easily as a normal job. Any small business requires a lot of outside-of-work time that you'll never get back, and unless you sell it, it will always be a big draw on your time, unless you wish to entrust it entirely to a manager, in which case there is a high likelihood of the reputation souring quickly. Overall I'd say it's not really a good stop-gap for someone who wants to be a vet in a few years. You probably would be able to sell it without losing too much, assuming you put the time into make it successful with a good reputation.

If you have a passion for the animals and like to talk to others with the same, or feel there's a lot of misinformation and want to do your part to correct it, or something along those lines, then perhaps a pet shop is a good option. If you've just the passion for animals but don't like people, it's quite a difficult business as well, and you'd be better off in a zoo or in a vet's office.

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