Animal Rescue Volunteer (North Yorkshire)

Our Wildlife Casualty Volunteers (WCVs) support the vital front line work of our Inspectorate.

You'll be collecting confined birds (up to the size of a gull) and small wild mammals from members of the public and taking them to vets, approved wildlife or RSPCA facilities. In some instances you'll help release rehabilitated wildlife back into the environment from which they were rescued.

The WCV role is similar to a “first responder” type role. You'll receive details of collection tasks via our Volunteering App, Assemble. You'll need to maintain a rota to tell us about your availability to volunteer, and update the 'OnCall' status of your Assemble App when you start your shift. Our National Control Centre will then contact you when they receive calls about wildlife collections in your area.

There will also be an opportunity to expand the role if you wish, to include transferring small domestic animals.

For this role you'll need access to a vehicle and smartphone. We'll provide you with everything else you'll need including a lone working safety device, carry boxes and PPE.

You'll also need to commit to completing our comprehensive training programme for new WCVs. This consists of a series of online eLearning modules, which can take up to 5 hours to complete, and a day spent with one of our Inspectorate team out in the field.

Since 2017 our WCV volunteers across England and Wales together have carried out over 5000 collections.

Important note: Owing to the zoonotic disease risks associated with collecting some species of wildlife, in this role you will need a professionally fitted face mask. This is almost impossible with facial hair because masks rely on a good seal against the face so when you breathe air in, it only goes through the filter. If there are any gaps around the mask, dirty air will pass through these gaps into your lungs. Facial hair such as beards and stubble make it impossible to get a good seal. If you have facial hair we may be able to offer an alternative role but unfortunately this role will not be suitable for you. The face fit test will be carried out annually for anyone in this role.

We are happy to reimburse out of pocket expenses in this role. Your journeys may enter Congestion Charging Zones, ULEZ Zones or be subject to tolls or parking charges. Your WCV handbook will explain how these charges, along with mileage allowance, can be reimbursed.

We celebrate and respect the diversity of our RSPCA team and embrace the individual qualities, skills and experiences that everyone brings.

To keep you safe and support your wellbeing, we’ll ask you to complete all the necessary training for your role and keep this up to date. We have a suite of wellbeing resources available and can make reasonable role adjustments to support you in your volunteering.

If you are interested in volunteering in this role, please click the apply button to complete our online application form.

Please note - for this location you may be required to drive long distances