A good number of people who own pet shops started working in them when they were in high school or college. It makes sense to see if this is the type of job for you.

Owning a business or a franchise is a major step. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 50 percent of all new businesses fail within the first year, and 95 percent of small businesses fail within the first five years. For your business to be successful, there has to be a need in your community and you must know how to market your business.

If you really want to own and run a pet shop, consider where you live. If it is a small town without a lot of pedestrian and automobile traffic, you might want to consider relocating. No matter what type of business you are operating, you must be in a prime location (that means a place with a lot of traffic), and there must be a need for the business.

If you don't want to own a pet shop, there are other job opportunities. You can be a manager, clerk, stockroom supplier, or buyer. You can work as a groomer on the premises of someone else's shop. You would just have to rent space and bring all of your own supplies.

The opportunities are plentiful, and you can work locally if there is a store near your home. Pet shops exist in most small towns and large cities. Most sell pet supplies, tropical fish, small rodents, and reptiles. All sell pet food and other items, ranging from pet clothing to bedding.

Many these days do not sell dogs or cats. Often they make arrangements for the local shelter to bring in cats and dogs for sale, and it is the shelter that takes the donations for these animals — not the pet shop. This is done as a goodwill gesture that endears customers to the store.