Volunteer with pets
Our rehoming and veterinary services help 35,000 pets each year, and we couldn’t do this without the support of our dedicated volunteers.
Pets are at the heart of what we do at Blue Cross.
If you're passionate about working with animals and are happy to get stuck into routine tasks, you'll gain valuable skills and practical experience through volunteering with pets.
“For me, volunteering as a General Hospital Assistant with Blue Cross is extremely rewarding. I get to care for pets directly which can make a big difference, freeing up veterinary staff more essential time to care for pets.”
Ways to volunteer with pets
Volunteering directly with pets can look like:
- cleaning kennels, walking dogs and socialising cats, kittens, puppies, and small pets (like rabbits and guinea pigs)
- carrying out home visits for our horses in their new loan homes, and providing advice for our borrowers
- helping our pets find homes more quickly by taking photos and videos of them for our website and helping with our social media pages
- driving pets to the vet or between our centres and hospitals
- fostering pets in your own home while they recover from illness, are waiting for a new family, or until they are old enough to be adopted
- fostering horses at your own yard, and assisting us in matching them with the right borrower
What to expect when volunteering with pets
When you're volunteering with Blue Cross pets, you can expect a busy, hands-on role. You'll receive an induction and training, as well as support from your volunteer manager for any questions you might have.
Your volunteer manager will also regularly check in with you throughout your volunteering journey, and support you in learning new skills.
Where are our pet volunteering roles based?
Volunteering with pets can take place in our Blue Cross rehoming centres and hospitals, or in your own home as a pet foster carer. You can search for volunteer roles at the closest Blue Cross site to you.
What do you need to volunteer with pets?
While our pet volunteer roles can differ, generally you'll need to have:
- previous experience of handling dogs, cats or small pets access to a car to undertake journeys to and from our site or vet (if you're applying for a driver role)
- good teamwork, reliability and communication skills
- a willingness to get stuck into routine tasks such as cleaning
- a willingness to learn and follow Blue Cross procedures
The minimum time commit can vary, but you'll find a range of opportunities during daytimes, evenings and weekends. Most roles ask for a few hours per week – you can find role specific requirements within the advert.
