Dog Fosterer Volunteer (Newport Animal Centre)

Why we want you

We are the RSPCA and it's our vision to live in a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion. Our volunteers are incredible, they play an essential role in helping us carry out our important animal welfare work every day.

Our fosterers play a vital role by providing a temporary home for animals that are in the care of the RSPCA, either during rehabilitation or whilst they are waiting for a suitable permanent home to be found.

You could be fostering an animal for just a few weeks, or it could be a longer-term placement for several months or more.

What you will be doing

• Providing care and suitable housing in a safe environment for dog/s while they are in foster care in accordance with Society policies and guidelines
• Feeding, watering, exercising, providing enrichment and grooming dog/s (as appropriate)
• Keeping accurate records of expenditure on fostered animals, via receipts and completed expense forms
• Completing records/daily observations in relation to behaviour and health and liaising with your Foster Coordinator when needed
• For dogs ready for rehoming: raising awareness about animals in your care with the hope of rehoming them (including sharing images and videos with your local contact/team)
• For dogs' subject to an RSPCA case: using discretion (where needed) if the animal has specific needs or reasons for being in your care
• Transporting your foster dog for appointments, vet consultations, behaviour training etc

The skills you need

• Volunteers must be aged 18 or over
• Experience of caring for dogs is desirable
• Previous experience of fostering would be beneficial
• You will need a secure garden and plenty of time to spend with the dog/s
• Your family/household must be fully supportive
• If in rented accommodation, permission from the landlord must be obtained
• If you have existing dogs it is preferred that they be spayed/neutered (unless there are medical reasons why they can’t be), but this can be discussed on a case by case basis
• If you have existing dogs, multiple greets/bonding sessions between the dogs must take place

What's in it for you

• Meet like-minded people and get to know more about the work of the RSPCA
• Add an important animal welfare role to your CV
• A great induction and training relevant to your role
• Support from our local and national teams
• You’ll be making a huge difference to the welfare of animals

Disclaimer

Our voluntary roles are subject to an informal interview and introductory period. Before you can start volunteering you’ll need to complete our suite of eLearn training including a simple online Health & Safety assessment.