Pet Fosterer

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.

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

Days/Hours

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.

Additional Requirements

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.

Please apply via our website

Head to the main page - Blue Cross and follow this path - Support Us/ Get Involved / Volunteer / Search / SG4