Volunteer Pet Foster Carer, Newport

Do you love pets? Would you like to be part of an amazing team caring for pets and helping them find their “furever” home? Then pet foster caring might be for you.

Every year thousands of pets find themselves in our Blue Cross Rehoming Centres. They get all the love of our Centre teams but it's not like being in a real home. Our foster carers open their homes and hearts to pets who really do need a home environment.

This might be because Centre life doesn’t suit them, maybe they need some quiet time to recuperate if they’ve been poorly or would just really benefit from being in a home environment. Fostering is hugely rewarding but it takes a special kind of person. We provide full training and ongoing support and all costs are covered. You can apply to foster any or all of the species we care for and we’ll chat through which pets might be the best fit for your home and situation. If you’re interested, just click apply and we’ll go from there

Volunteer role -Pet Foster Carer

Volunteer manager - Foster Coordinator

Where you will be based -Home

Why we want you

We know the best place for pets is in a loving home. Sometimes they can’t stay in their original home, or perhaps they are one of the many babies born in Blue Cross care. As a Blue Cross Foster Carer you’ll provide the loving home our pets need, giving care and affection to animals whilst they wait for their forever home. Our Foster Carers care for cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, chinchillas, rats and degus. Some of our Foster Carers look after all species, some specialise and, with further training, can also help us to care for pets with specialist needs.

Every year we help thousands of pets. Our Pet Foster Carers ensure we do that in the best way, providing comfortable warm homes and lots of love to pets in need. We’ve been helping homeless, sick and injured pets since 1897 and with your help we can continue to do that.

What you will be doing

• Caring for Blue Cross pets and providing them with a safe environment in your own home until they can be rehomed
• Supporting pets who might be struggling to cope in a Rehoming Centre
• Transporting your foster pet to and from a Blue Cross site or vets as required
• Providing all the care they need including feeding, socialising, grooming and cleaning
• Giving observations and feedback on your foster pet including filling in assessments, diaries and feedback forms
• Sending progress updates to your manager using video or photographs some of which will be used on our website and for potential adopters

The skills you need

• Previous experience of handling and caring for pets. We can train you on any species new to you
• Time to dedicate towards socialising and caring for your foster pet
• Access to a car to undertake journeys to and from our Rehoming Centre and vets
• A safe, quiet area within your home so pets can settle in at their own pace
• Willingness to learn and follow Blue Cross procedures and undertake training provided
• The ability to provide timely and regular communication with our foster teams through phone or email
• Some IT skill would be helpful, or someone who could support you, as much of our training is completed online and we’d like you to be able to email us photos, videos and updates of your foster pet

What's in it for you

• You’ll be making a difference to pets and giving them the best chance of finding a new home
• You’ll have all the joy of a pet without the long-term commitment of pet ownership
• Blue Cross pay all expenses related to caring for your foster pet including travel costs
• You’ll gain practical skills, experience, and access to a dedicated Blue Cross ARK training programme
• You’ll join a great team of like-minded people

Disclaimer

Fostering is a flexible process, but you need to be able to volunteer for a long enough period for pets to settle in a new environment. You need to be 18 or over for this role. If you are a driver, we’ll need you to complete some basic checks, or we’ll need to do this for anyone who will be driving you and your foster pet. Some IT skill, or someone who can help you, will be needed for this role. We believe that every pet should enjoy a healthy life in a happy home, and we always seek to involve the best people who share our values and commitment so we can continue to help and support pet owners across the UK to achieve this. At Blue Cross, we want you to feel that you belong, without the need to hide any part of who you are. Diversity and inclusion at Blue Cross means creating an organisation where all people, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, nation or country of origin, disability, age, and socioeconomic backgrounds are welcomed, respected, supported, and have access to equal opportunities. We are working hard to reflect the world we live in and the communities we serve at every level of our organisation. As much as we have made positive advances, we consider diversity and inclusion to be a work in progress – a continual commitment that remains a priority for all of us. If you would like to talk to us about any accessibility needs that we can support with in terms of our volunteer recruitment processes, then please do get in touch.