In this episode of the Animal Training Academy podcast, Ryan Cartlidge is joined by Julie Smith — Associate Professor in the Zoo Animal Technology Program at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, where she teaches courses focused on animal husbandry, coordinates the animal training program, and mentors new trainers preparing for professional animal care careers. With more than 20 years of experience in animal care and a special interest in positive reinforcement training, Julie has worked with a wide variety of species across three AZA accredited facilities.
Together, Ryan and Julie explore the changing landscape of animal care careers and the importance of developing resilience alongside technical skills. Julie shares her own career journey, from an internship at the Minnesota Zoo and her first animal training experiences at Zoo Miami, to her current role at Santa Fe College. She also discusses how the teaching zoo gives students extensive hands-on experience, while helping them develop communication, teamwork, feedback, and other skills that are essential when entering the animal care profession.
The conversation then turns to resilience and the challenges that can come with caring deeply about animals and their welfare. Julie explains why she sees resilience as a practice and a set of skills that can be developed over time, rather than something that some people simply have and others don't. Together, Ryan and Julie explore practical ways to build those skills, including understanding what the job involves, creating safe environments where people can make mistakes, understanding your personal and organisational "why", knowing and using available resources, and making time for days off and activities outside of work.
Julie also shares practical examples of how these ideas can be incorporated into everyday life and workplace culture, from encouraging open conversations and useful feedback to practising adaptability through small challenges and having Plan A, B, and C. The conversation highlights the importance of recognising your own progress, making space for difficult feelings, and treating yourself with the same kindness you would offer a colleague or teammate.
Throughout this episode, we discuss:
✅ Julie's career journey from her internship at the Minnesota Zoo to her current role at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
✅ How the Santa Fe College Zoo Animal Technology Program prepares students for hands-on animal care careers
✅ The changing role of animal training within professional animal care
✅ Why communication, teamwork, feedback, and foundational workplace skills matter alongside animal-care knowledge
✅ What resilience means for people working with animals
✅ Why resilience can be viewed as a practice and a set of skills that can be developed
✅ The importance of understanding what you're getting into when working in animal care
✅ Creating safe environments where people can ask questions, make mistakes, and learn from them
✅ Understanding your personal "why" and the reasons behind organisational decisions
✅ Knowing and using the resources available to you, including support from colleagues, employers, mentors, and other professionals
✅ Practising adaptability through everyday challenges and preparing Plan A, B, and C
✅ Stepping outside your comfort zone and "doing it scared"
✅ Making space to experience difficult feelings and developing skills to sit with them
Whether you're preparing for a career in animal care, already working in the field, training animals in a professional setting, or simply caring deeply about the animals in your life, this episode offers practical ideas for developing the skills and practices that can help you navigate the challenges of this work. Julie's experiences provide a valuable reminder that resilience can be built over time, and that taking care of ourselves is an important part of being able to care for others.
Links
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo : https://www.sfcollege.edu/zoo/
AZA: https://www.aza.org/
Julie Squires: https://www.juliesquires.net/
Julie's Instagram for the cats: @loki_the_wondercat
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo Instagram: @sfteachingzoo
