So I'm in a predicament. I love to work with animals and truly am happy when working with them. The problem is that I don't know what career path to go with.

I entertained the idea of a vet tech, but I couldn't balance work, school and family. I was thinking of some accredited distance learning programs, but it can take up to 5 years to complete and I don't know if I can stay focused long enough. Not to mention I don't think I want to be present while putting animals to sleep. When I used to work with animals in my old job I could never deal with their deaths even though I worked there for years.

Any advice on alternatives?