Freedom Team Leader

Do you want to make a difference to the lives of people fleeing domestic abuse? Are you an experienced dog handler?

We are looking for a passionate Freedom Team Leader to be responsible for day to day running of Freedom, a pet fostering service for individuals fleeing domestic abuse, in North East of England. 

About this role:
As Freedom Team Leader, you’ll:

• Support pets and their owners through the referral and placement process, assessing the dogs and matching them with fosterers where appropriate.
• Recruit, manage and work closely with our wonderful volunteer fosterers, providing them with ongoing support, veterinary cover and advice throughout their placement,
• Work closely with the management team to promote the service offer, building relationships with owners and referral organisations, such as refuges and abuse support services.

Please note, this role is being offered as a fixed term, adoption leave cover for 12 months, until approx. October 2025.

About you:
To be successful in this role, you’ll need significant experience of assessing and handling a variety of dogs in a rescue or rehoming centre environment, while also having a good understanding of domestic abuse and the problems faced by individuals fleeing domestic abuse with pets. A large part of this role involves driving and/or transporting dogs in a small van across the region daily, so candidates should have experience of driving as part of a previous role.

About Dogs Trust:
We love dogs. That’s why we do whatever we can to make sure every four-legged friend gets the love they deserve. We’ll never put a healthy dog down, so our work is focused on helping dogs in need, supporting owners every step of the walk, and creating a better world for dogs in the future. It’s what we’ve been doing since 1891 and how we’ve grown to become the UK’s leading dog charity, helping 12,000 loyal friends find their forever homes every year.

About the team:
The Outreach team runs several projects supporting pet owners who are homeless or in housing crisis in the UK, including Freedom, a pet fostering service for people fleeing domestic abuse. Most referrals come from women fleeing domestic abuse via women-only services. The service places dogs into volunteer foster homes on a temporary basis until their owners are able to be reunited with them. The Freedom Project runs in Greater London and the Home Counties, Yorkshire, the North East, the North West, East Anglia, Scotland, Wales, and Hampshire.

This role is homebased but will involve significant travel across North East England and to other Freedom areas when required. Due to the nature of this role, this post is for women only and is exempt under Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010. A basic Disclosure & Barring Service Check (DBS) will be required for this role.

To apply for this position please click the APPLY NOW button. Our application process requires you complete an application form and a covering letter explaining your interest and suitability for the role. Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive enough suitable interest, so to avoid disappointment early application is encouraged.

Dogs are incredibly diverse, much like the humans that love them! At Dogs Trust we value diversity and we're committed to fostering an inclusive culture.  We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, abilities, and cultures and believe that a diverse workforce helps us to achieve our mission. Our colleague networks give our people a voice acting as vehicles for real and meaningful change within Dogs Trust.  We truly want to see every candidate shine throughout the entire job application process, interview stages, and during their time with us. If there's anything on your mind or any adjustments you may need, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to support you every step of the way.