Small Animal Care (Surrey)

Become a Small Animal Carer

From Guinea Pigs and Rabbits to Hamsters and Ferrets - could you help the small animals in our care have a comfortable and positive experience while they are with us?

You can find out more about being a Small Animal Care Volunteer in this short video.

This is a crucial role for the welfare of small animals in RSPCA care with a typical day looking like this:

Essentials first: You’ll start by helping with the cleaning and feeding of our small animals. This will ensure that they are as comfortable as possible during their stay with us. This also frees up our staff for any extra welfare work that our animals need.

Quality Time: After the essentials have been done, there is often an opportunity to spend time with our smaller residents, each an individual with their own personality and needs. Our staff will provide full training and support around all aspects of caring and interacting with our small animals.

Some essential information:

Working with animals from a variety of backgrounds, some animals will carry illnesses which can be transferred to other animals and sometimes humans. Because of this we uphold high levels of biosecurity to promote the safety of our animals, staff and volunteers

At the RSPCA, many of our animals have been subject to cruelty, neglect or injury before coming into our care. Sometimes, because of this they are experiencing physical or mental suffering and our expert veterinary and behaviour teams may recommend that euthanasia is our only option to ensure that the animal doesn't live in a state of negative welfare. This can be emotionally challenging for everyone involved so we encourage all potential volunteers to consider this aspect of the role before applying. More can be found about the RSPCA euthanasia policy here