Dog Fosterer

We are looking to recruit dog and puppy fosterers for some of the animals in our care. Some dogs, who are waiting to be rehomed, don’t respond well to life in our kennels and thrive much better in the care of foster homes. Other dogs looking for foster homes may be subject to an RSPCA investigation so are in our care whilst the case progresses. With these dogs we will not know how long the case will take to resolve and, in rare cases, animals may have to be returned to their owner (in accordance with court ruling).

For whatever reason the dog has come into our care, being in a home environment is far more beneficial to their welfare for many reasons, such as medical issues, behavioural problems (very nervous), or if they are pregnant or nursing mothers or puppies which need additional care and are simply too young to rehome.

As a dog fosterer you will play a vital role in looking after the dogs in our care until their case is resolved or they find a new home. You'll be fostering dogs in your own home and ensuring a safe environment that will cater for their individual (and sometimes complex) needs. You'll be ensuring their welfare needs are met by providing enrichment, exercising, feeding, grooming (if needed) and taking to vets (when/if needed). Some will need time and space to become accustomed to their new surroundings and people, and some will need lots of love and attention - this will be dependent on the dog and their requirements. The care and interaction you'll provide will help the dogs in your care develop the socialisation skills which can aid a successful rehoming.

This is a great opportunity to make a real difference to the welfare of dogs. Having animals in foster homes also allows us to help more animals by freeing up space in our Centres and Branches.

What is required:

• Secure garden
• Be able to transport the dog/puppies to Vet appointments if needed
• Have time to spend with them or be around for them
• Have lots of love, time and patience to give the animal in your care the best chance at a happy ever after when ready for rehoming

We’re looking for experienced dog owners or fosterers who understand their behaviours and can ensure their enrichment needs are met. All necessary equipment, food and Veterinary care will be supplied and funded by the RSPCA through our animal centres. You will meet new people in this role and have the support of our staff on hand should you need it.

To apply, please complete our application form which will ask you to expand on your experience and home environment. Our application process is very thorough as fostering is a very responsible but rewarding role. It may take upto 30 minutes to complete the application, so make sure you have a cup of tea to hand as you complete it.

If successful, you’ll be added to our team of fosterers who can be contacted by any of our National Centres or Branches looking for the right person with the right skills to support a particular dog. You’ll get online access to all the necessary training for your role and we ask you to 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.

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