Volunteer as a pet foster carer
By becoming a foster carer you’ll help Blue Cross pets who are waiting for their forever family.
Every time you foster a pet, you change two lives.
Fostering is a truly life-changing experience, for both you and the pet you care for. It’s a chance to create a meaningful bond with an animal who desperately needs your help without the commitment or costs of having a pet long-term.
For some pets, being able to live in a foster home is lifesaving. It also opens up space in our rehoming centres to help even more animals in desperate need.
Opening your heart and home to Blue Cross pets is more than just providing shelter – it's about offering love, companionship, and a temporary haven in their time of need. As well as a unique opportunity to enjoy the incredible love and companionship of pets, you’ll be directly contributing to their welfare and transforming their lives.
Fostering gives me great pleasure knowing I'm helping cats and kittens in their journey to their loving new homes. Quite often, the cats are shy or nervous, so it's very rewarding to be able to make them feel safe and loved.
You’ll be amazed by how much you’ll learn from being an essential part of a pet’s story and journey to their forever home.
You can choose which species you’d be interested in caring for, and we’ll provide all the training and support you need, with a personalised plan to help you and your foster pet have the best experience possible.
A volunteering experience like no other
Volunteering is all about giving back. When you foster a pet, you also get the wonderful experience of building a special connection with an animal in need and the joy of their companionship.
Life-changing does not mean life consuming
One of the many great things about fostering is that for the most part it can be done in the comfort of your own home. Some pets are much more hands-on than others, and we have a wide range needing foster care.
Foster placements can be as short as a couple of days. You can pause or stop any time.
The only cost is a place in your heart
While they’re worth every penny, having pets can be expensive. But with fostering there’s no cost involved – we’ll take care of any and every expense, including all your travel.
Applying doesn’t mean you’re committed – it’s the first step in finding out if this is the right volunteer role for you.
How to apply
To find fostering opportunities in your area, please click the link below and add your postcode into the search box.
I love picking up a nervous cat. The moment they come out from hiding, happy to sit in the same room, or even on a lap, you know you have done your job and they are ready to look for a new home.
Fostering FAQs
While most of our foster volunteers feel a real emotional commitment to the pets they care for, the time and energy needed may be a lot less than you think.
Fostering isn’t forever. Pets are sometimes in foster homes for just a couple of days or weeks, and you can take a break or stop any time.
Even if you’re only able to foster one pet for a short time, you’ll have changed a life and made a difference.
All we ask is that you live within a travel distance that you’re prepared to make.
As part of caring for a foster pet, you may have to travel to a vet or one of our rehoming centres. Whilst we don’t put a limit on that travel distance, it must be within a distance that you’re happy to travel.
No, we will provide all the training and support you need. Many find their training is a great help in caring for pets of their own and developing their understanding of the animals they love.
We have seven animal behaviourists in our central team. They support our rehoming centres across the UK. Find out about our behaviour services.
Don’t worry, we pay all the costs related to your foster pet – including your training and any travel costs.
You’ll have a dedicated Foster Coordinator to help and guide you every step of the way.
While you’ll mostly be based at your own home, you’re not on your own. You will also become part of our incredible team of thousands of volunteers, with a network of experienced fosterers to support you.
Sometimes the connection with your foster pet is permanent. We will fully support you if you fall in love completely and feel able to offer your foster pet a forever home.
