Animal hospitals and animal shelters need care volunteers to nurture and care for vulnerable animals during their stay. You will also help to support families who are concerned for their sick pet by providing comfort and advice.
If you decide to volunteer as an animal care volunteer for an animal shelter such as the RSPCA, you will often be responsible for cleaning animal pens and cages, as well as grooming, feeding and playing with a range of animals.
There are also animal specific roles available e.g. volunteering as a cat carer or socialiser in an RSPCA cattery. If you’ve always wanted a cat but your home or lifestyle just isn’t suitable, then this could be the role for you. You will help look after every aspect of the cats’ wellbeing from ensuring they get the right diet to helping them develop socialisation skills, which should help them to be successfully rehomed.
PDSA Pet Hospitals also recruit volunteers to soothe sick and recovering animals, comfort families and help out with reception tasks. Animals can become stressed when they are unwell and away from their families, so as an Animal Care Volunteer, you’ll be responsible for alleviating some of this stress by making sure their environment is clean and comfortable, encouraging them to eat and acting as a companion.
Full training will usually be provided for all roles in this category, and levels of commitment will vary.