Want to get paid to write about pets?
If you’re a writer who loves pets, consider combining your passions and becoming a pet-care writer.
If you want to write about pets, there’s some good news: the pet industry is enormous. In North America alone, it’s currently worth over $225 billion, and many pet care businesses and publications need freelancers who can write about pets.
The majority of the market consists of non-veterinary-related products and services, meaning that there are lots of opportunities to write about pets within the niche regardless of your educational background.
This list features 19 markets that pay freelancers to write about pets and cover topics about animals and pet care. It includes publications that focus on all kinds of animals, including cats, dogs, horses, birds, and even reptiles.
TIP: Before you pitch any of these markets, make sure you carefully study the writer’s guidelines – whenever available – and familiarize yourself with the pub.
If you’re pitching a print or digital magazine, that means you should ideally read through at least two recent issues. That way, you can get a good sense of the style, tone, and types of pet-related content and stories they publish.
How much can you get paid to write about pets?
We’ll be upfront: some “gigs” within the pet industry pay very low rates, partly because of the broad nature of the topics that are sometimes involved.
But you shouldn’t waste your time pursuing those low-paying clients because there are many that do pay well. If you have an existing portfolio, focus exclusively on markets that pay competitively.
The markets on our list here pay a wide range of rates, from less than $0.10 per word for some types of digital content up to $600 per article for feature stories.
The amount you can expect to earn to write about pets will depend on a variety of factors, including your background and experience as well as how much you write.
How do you become a pet care writer?
While no formal training is necessary to write about pets, you’ll need to be knowledgeable about caring for pets. It also helps if you have a background in a career related to pets or animals.
You might have the best chance of breaking in to write about pets for these markets if you choose to focus on one specific type of pet, such as dogs, cats, or horses. That way, you can establish yourself as an expert on that particular animal, giving you more opportunities to earn higher rates.
As is the case with any writing niche, you should also have a portfolio of writing samples to show potential clients. Ideally, your portfolio should contain clips of pet care-related writing to demonstrate your expertise.
Ready to get started? Check out these 19 friendly markets that pay freelancers to write about pets.
1. AKC Family Dog
Want to write about pets, especially dogs? AKC Family Dog magazine offers tips, feature stories, and how-to articles relating to dog behavior, nutrition, natural therapies, health care, and more. They look for informative articles written in an engaging tone.
Rate: $300-$500 for 1,000-3,000 word articles
Contact: Email editor Mara or reach out on LinkedIn.
2. All Creatures
All Creatures is a national magazine by Guideposts that features inspiring stories about the pets and animals in our lives. The editors look for true, first-person stories, uplifting articles, and relevant interviews.
Contact: Send a message to contributing editor Peggy Frezon on LinkedIn or send your pitch via email.
Rate: Varies depending on article length and other factors.
3. Animal Wellness
Animal Wellness is a natural pet magazine dedicated to promoting holistic care for dogs and cats. They accept unsolicited story outlines and articles ranging from 500 to 1,500 words.
So what’s the secret to land a gig for Animal Wellness to write about pets? You’ll have the best chance of breaking into this pub if you start off by pitching a shorter feature idea for the Animal Passages, Tail End, or Warm & Fuzzy columns. Articles should focus on physical, spiritual, or emotional holistic pet wellbeing.
Contact: Send an email to managing editor Ann Brightman.
Rate: Varies
4. The Bark
The Bark is a popular magazine that covers a variety of topics relating to dogs, including news, nutrition, wellness, and tips for training. They’re seeking talented freelancers who can write about pets and to contribute content focusing on the dog lifestyle and the bond between people and their pets.
Note: This mag is currently only seeking content for their web-based publication.
Contact: Email editor in chief Claudia Kawczynska.
Rate: Varies; reportedly pays between $0.06-$0.30/word.
5. BirdWatching Magazine
Love birds? BirdWatching – previously called Birder’s World – is geared toward individuals who are wild bird enthusiasts. They especially seek photo essays combined with first-person accounts, single-page descriptions about bird hotspots, and insightful stories about birds that contain scientific content.
Note: Coming up with an interesting idea for a photo essay can be one of the best ways to break into BirdWatching.
Contact: Email editor (not accepting submissions)
Rate: $400 for feature stories.
6. Catster
Catster – formerly called Cat Fancy – is a widely read magazine geared toward cat lovers. They publish articles relating to topics like cat behavior, cat food, care and wellbeing, breeds, and lifestyle.
Contact: Send your pitch by email to senior editor Annie Butler Shirreffs or reach out on LinkedIn.
Rate: Varies
7. Chicken Soup for the Soul
Want to break into book writing? Consider pitching Chicken Soup for the Soul. The editors look for heartwarming stories that evoke emotion and make readers feel more hopeful about life – and they publish a new cat and new dog volume every year.
Contact: Tweet editor Amy Newmark or fill out the story submission form.
Rate: $200 plus ten free copies of the book your story appears in.
8. Dogs Naturally Magazine
If you have expertise pertaining to homeopathy, holistic dog care, or canine health, check out Dogs Naturally. They seek to provide credible information on topics such as natural health, nutrition, herbs, vaccines, and pharmaceutical controversies.
Contact: Fill out the pitch submission form.
Rate: $50-$200 per article.
9. The Chronicle of the Horse
Knowledgeable about horse sports and caring for horses? Consider pitching The Chronicle of the Horse. This bi-weekly magazine has been around for a long time – since 1937. They frequently rely on freelancers and publish topics such as horse sports news, dressage, and eventing.
They also publish a sister bi-monthly publication that focuses on equestrian lifestyle topics.
Contact: Email managing editor Beth Rasin or reach out on LinkedIn.
Rate: $150-$400
10. CORAL Magazine
Know about aquarium-related topics? CORAL Magazine is a leading bi-monthly publication that features in-depth articles on marine science, environmental topics, and advice for selecting and caring for aquarium fishes, invertebrates, and plants. They seek cutting-edge feature stories from freelancers who can write about pets and create authoritative content on these topics.
Contact: Email editor James Lawrence.
Rate: $100-600 per article depending on numerous factors, including complexity, length, and the author’s experience.
11. Dogster
Previously known as Dog Fancy, Dogster is a popular bi-monthly digital and print magazine. They publish articles about dog health and wellness, training, lifestyle, and breeds.
Contact: Email editor Melissa L. Kauffman.
Rate: Reportedly $45-$75 per online article.
12. Equestrian Life
Equestrian Life is a bi-monthly print magazine based in Australia that is designed to entertain and educate amateur and professional riders. The editors look for features, interviews, and major event coverage. People-related or informational stories, training articles, and how-to guides are typically preferred.
Contact: Email editor David Trounce or Tweet @equestrian_life.
Rate: Varies; pays upon publishing.
13. Hoofbeats
Hoofbeats is a popular harness racing magazine that features news, columns, profiles, and in-depth feature stories. About 70 percent of the content they publish is freelance written-meaning there are ample opportunities to contribute to this pub.
Contact: Email editor Kathy Parker.
Rate: $100-$500 per article.
14. Horse Illustrated
Horse Illustrated is a print and digital magazine geared towards horse lovers. They look for feature articles about horse care, riding and training, horse breeds, and equestrian lifestyle. They also publish profiles, humor, and first-person stories.
Articles should be written in a conversational, reader-friendly tone. You’ll have the best chance of having your article accepted if your first submission is a completed manuscript.
Contact: Email your pitch to editor Holly Caccamise or Tweet @HI_mag.
Rate: Varies.
15. Horse Network
Want to write about pets, including horses? Horse Network is a digital platform and community that features a blog covering a wide variety of horse-related topics-including news, sports, lifestyle, training, opinion, and horse health.
Horse Network editors look for well-researched, fact-based articles in the 500-750 word range. They’re currently looking for interviews, profiles, human interest stories, and articles about horse health.
Contact: Contact editor-in-chief Carley Sparks on LinkedIn.
Rate: $50+ per post.
16. Pet Age
Pet Age is a monthly trade magazine geared toward pet supply retailers. It covers a wide variety of topics about all types of pets, including cats, dogs, birds, small animals, reptiles, and fish. The editors seek content about issues like pet parenting, health and nutrition, natural and general products, grooming and boarding, and trade shows.
About 90 percent of this pub’s content is from freelance submissions, so there are frequent opportunities for freelancers to write about pets and contribute here.
Contact: Email editor in chief Glenn Polyn.
Rate: $0.15/word for 1,500-2,200 word articles.
17. Pet Product News International
Pet Product News is published monthly and covers topics relevant to pet industry retailers, supplies, and distributors. They cover cats, dogs, birds, and exotic pets and seek articles from individuals knowledgeable about pet health, nutrition, and care. They also publish articles about business issues relevant to pet store owners, such as taxes, balancing the books, and dealing with legal matters.
Contact: Email managing editor Lindsey Wojcik.
Rate: $150-$350
18. Reptiles Magazine
Reptiles is a bi-monthly magazine that primarily publishes articles relating to the care of reptiles. Commonly covered topics include handling, breeding, health, conservation, and searching for wild reptiles and amphibians in the U.S and abroad.
Contact: Send an email to editor Russ Case.
Pay: Varies; typically $200 per article.
19. Young Rider Magazine
Young Rider Magazine is geared toward horse-loving children and teens ages 8-14. They seek articles about horse care, riding instruction, contests, and more. Articles should be written in a way that connects with this mag’s enthusiastic young readers.
Contact: Reach out to editor Holly Caccamise on LinkedIn.
Rate: Typically $200 per article.
Ready to write about pets & get paid?
If you love pets, there’s a good chance you can get paid to write about pets, enjoy the work, and connect with people in the pet care industry.
But if you want to succeed as a freelance writer AND in this niche, there are some basic guidelines you should follow.
- Find markets that need freelancers who can write about pets. Our list here should help you get off to a good start, but there are many other pet care-related businesses, websites, and publications that use freelancers to help them with their content needs. So don’t stop here.
- Get to know the publication before you pitch. As we mentioned earlier, before you pitch any of the pubs on this list, it’s important to familiarize yourself with their existing content. That means you should read through recent blog posts or magazine issues to make sure your idea is a good fit for the publication.
- Follow the guidelines. If an editor has taken the time to put together submission guidelines, make sure you read them carefully before sending in your pitch. Failing to adhere to those guidelines will most likely cause your pitch to be ignored or rejected.
If you follow these tips and stay consistent with your pitching, you’ll be well on your way to getting paid to write about pets.
Christin Nielsen is a freelance writer based in Virginia. She specializes in writing for digital and print publications as well as nonprofit organizations.
