Head start for animal-care positions

Teen Tracks is an Arizona Animal Welfare League program for students ages 13 to 17 considering careers working with animals. Each Saturday, participants learn about animal adoption, body language and handling skills, among others. Two Paradise Valley Unified School District students involved with the program spoke about their experience.

Question: How did you find out about Teen Tracks?

Jessica Anderson, 15, Horizon High School sophomore: I read an article about the program and it seemed really interesting to me. So I hopped online and found out more information, filled out the paperwork and turned it in.

Taryn Alessandrino, 16, Shadow Mountain High School junior: I was a (AAWL) camper. We have a summer camp where you get to hang out with the animals and learn certain things and how the shelter works.

Q.: After working more closely with animals, do you still want to go into an animal-related career?

Jessica: I have always had a love for animals and want to go into an animal career. I'd like to be a veterinarian.

Taryn: I wanted to become a veterinarian; then I got to learn more, and it showed me that a veterinarian would not be the best career for me. I realized that from watching the surgery I wouldn't be able to do that. It's just something I wouldn't be able to handle.

Q.: What's the most challenging part of Teen Tracks?

Jessica: I don't find any of it hard. I enjoy coming here and waking up and knowing I'm going to play with dogs, cats, ferrets and bunnies.

Taryn: One hard thing is that I want to take all of the animals home, but I can't, because I already have pets at home.

Q.: Do you have a favorite animal?

Jessica: I really, really like the cats. I just like how they come up to you and cuddle and just lay there. You don't have to go outside and teach them tricks. They are just there.

Q.: What's one of the biggest misconceptions of working with animals at a shelter?

Taryn: We actually do a lot of work here. We do get to socialize animals, but we do have to clean their cages and things like that. And a lot of people don't realize we do that.

Working with a dog from the Arizona Animal Welfare League.are (clockwise, from left) Alexa Williams), Taryn Alessandrino and Jessica Anderson