Three black and white kittens play. One has their paws up on a sofa and the others look towards the camera.

Volunteer as a pet foster carer

By becoming a foster carer you’ll help Blue Cross pets who are waiting for their forever family.

Our mission is to make sure as many pets as possible have healthy, happy lives. Every year, thousands of animals find themselves in our care, and we couldn’t support them all without our volunteer pet foster carers.

As a pet foster carer, you’ll provide a loving temporary home to a Blue Cross pet. This could be a dog who is struggling with kennel life, or a kitten learning how to behave in a home setting. We believe it's more beneficial for pets to stay in a home rather than in kennels wherever possible, helping them to feel comfortable and calm. Whatever their personality, you’ll help our pets on their journey to find a loving new home.

“Friends have said that I’ll end up keeping Gizzy myself, but I know that if I help him move on to a new family I’ll be able to carry on helping more pets to find happy homes by being a fosterer. It’s really rewarding.”

Jennie, foster carer

What to expect as a pet foster carer

As a pet foster carer, you’ll be a vital part of the rehoming journey for some of our pets. You’ll care for your chosen species – from dogs or cats, to mice or rabbits – until they’ve been matched with the right home.

From feeding and cleaning, to socialising and giving medication, you’ll provide all the care your foster pet needs. Some pets may also need help adjusting to life in a home or coming out of their shell – but you’ll have all the support you need from our rehoming and behaviour team. All food and equipment needed to look after your foster pet will also be provided.

Along the way, we'll also ask you to share updates, photos and feedback on how they’ve been getting on. This helps us get to know their unique personality and find them the perfect match.

At certain times of the year, we also recruit horse foster carers who have the facilities and experience to provide short term care for horses waiting for a new home.

Where is this role based?

You’ll foster pets in your home, and will ideally live within 45 minutes of a Blue Cross rehoming site.

A member of Blue Cross holds two puppies.

About you

While fostering is a flexible process, you'll need to commit to a long enough period of time to allow your foster pet to settle into their new environment.

Generally, you'll have:

  • previous experience of handling and looking after your chosen pet, or a keen interest in learning
  • access to a car to undertake journeys to and from our centre or vet
  • access to outside space for toileting and exercising if you’re looking after a dog, or adequate space for suitable housing if you're looking after a small pet
  • a willingness to learn and follow our procedures and undertake training provided the ability to provide regular updates with our foster teams through phone or email some technical knowledge, or support from someone, to send photo and video updates of your foster pet

Apply today