Quit your job and hang out with dogs for a living

If there are no dogs in your office, bring the office to the dogs. Via Flickr.

Dogs are the Paxil of the animal kingdom, little balls of anti depressants that brighten you up even in the darkest depths of winter. There’s real science behind why dogs are good for your mental health too: they can lower blood pressure, promote touch, give out unconditional love and remind you that no one is above sniffing a butt ever now and then. If you live in New York City, you’re surrounded by dogs, in your parks and apartment buildings and winding under your legs at certain bars, and that means the state of the local dog economy is strong. So if you’ve ever dreamed of quitting your job and working in the canine arts, now is your chance, because the city is litter-ly packed with dog jobs right now.

Get paid to help take photos of dogs

The Dogist is a guy making a documentary series about the “beauty of dogs.” He’s hiring a photo assistant to help manage social media, assist the Dogist with his workflow and fieldwork. Qualifications include “Must love dogs. A lot.” plus a willingness to travel and a love of outdoors and hiking.

Get paid to walk dogs

Dog walking is serious business in New York and business is good right now: Good walkers can make $20 an hour, or $800 a month, plus you get to walk around with a circle of dogs defending you on the street like furry rotating green shells from Mario Kart. See a list of available dog walker jobs here.

Get paid to pack treats for dogs (or writing about dogs)

Subscription services are all the rage right now, and dogs got their own version in the form of NYC-based BarkBox, which sends a package of treats to your home so your dog has a reason not to hate the mail delivery person finally. The company is hiring for a whole mess of jobs, including a VP of sales, marketing managers, developers, a writer, advertising staff and more.

Get paid to help dogs find homes

The Animal Care Centers of NYC takes in some 30,000 animals every year and never turns away a sick or homeless animal. It takes a lot of effort find those dogs and other pets homes, so the ACC has a handful of jobs open right now, including an adoption counselor.

Get paid to groom dogs

Biscuits & Bath is a full service doggy grooming spa based in Manhattan, and they’ve got a lot of jobs open right now, from dog walkers, overnight dog watchers, bathers, grooming and trainers, plus some office management positions. Must love wet dogs.

Don’t let anyone keep you from your dream job: