Job opprutunities with animals

Since I was four years old I have wanted to be a veterinarian. I'm sixteen now and want to start taking steps to prepare for my future.
I have found a local theraputic riding center that I am going to try to volunteer with, but I want to see if I can get a job in like a vets office or something with animal health. I'm mostly interested in the experience and what I can learn just from being in the environment. I know I would probably have to start out volunteering/doing dirty work and then try to work my way up.
So my main question is how do I go about getting a job with a vet? Also, what other things can I do to get experience.
Last question (I swear lol), I want to get into community service things because I really enjoy stuff like that. Do colleges look at the community service a student does? If so, what are they looking for?

Ok thank you for any help you can offer me . I really appreciate it!

Your going in the right direction! Just go in a local vets office, make sure your cleaned up, not in breeches! And ask for an application and that your wanting to either work or volunteer. Usually they need volunteers and are happy to get them.
You can also go to the high school counciler and ask for volunteer things. I think colleges look at things like that but its good to make up a resume and have all the volunteer jobs on it, becuase even tho its not real work employers like to see the things that you have done in high school, like prep squad...ect.
When your just starting out and looking for work. Then you can start to replace the volunteer work with real jobs, its better to have a full resume with volunteer then an empty one!

Colleges absolutely love volunteer work, and any extra curricular work you do. A veterinary college will definitely look at previous experience working with animals, and will look highly on time spent in the veterinary field. What major are you planning on taking in college?

Thank you Travelingypsy! I will be sure to do that :).

Wanderlust, thanks :)! I plan on going to University of Kentucky and taking 4 years of pre-vet and then going to another college for veterinary. I don't really know what my major would be in that case though lol..

Just remember if you don't like the vet school you can always change. My cousin had her heart set on being a vet but ended up changing it so now she is going to be a zoo keeper or something where she will be working with the animals in the zoo, still related to health. But I dunno...