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- Tasks: Care for pets, assess their needs, and prepare them for adoption.
- Company: Join Blue Cross, a leading animal welfare charity dedicated to pet care.
- Benefits: Enjoy generous holiday, health support, and professional development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of pets and their future families.
- Qualifications: Experience with animals and strong communication skills are essential.
- Other info: Flexible part-time hours with a supportive team environment.
The predicted salary is between 16795 - 16795 £ per year.
Application Deadline: 4 December 2025
Department: Rehoming & Fostering Services
Employment Type: Fixed Term - Part Time
Location: Southampton
Reporting To: Ellie Stansfield
Compensation: £23,993 / year
Description
Contract: 26.25 hours per week, fixed term until August 2026
Salary: £16,795 (£23,993 FTE)
Location: Southampton, SO30 2HL
Closing date: Thursday 4th December 2025
Interview date: W/C 8th December 2025
We’re recruiting a Pet Welfare Assistant for onsite animal care, for our Rehoming & Fostering team in Southampton! This is a fixed term contract until August 2026. At Blue Cross, we are dedicated to providing the best care possible to pets in need. As a Pet Welfare Assistant for our onsite services, you will play an important role in our mission, ensuring that every pet receives the love, attention, and support they deserve during their stay at our Southampton rehoming centre.
More about the role
As a skilled animal handler and assessor, you will be responsible for the ‘preparation stage’ with the pets in our care which involves caring, carrying out assessments and rehabilitation plans, preparing them for the ‘adoption stage’ or the best possible outcome for their circumstances with minimal delay. As a Pet Welfare Assistant, you will ensure that the welfare standards are met and that rehabilitation plans are followed and supported for pets in our care. Working independently and with the team you will carry out meetings with owners giving up their pet, ensuring all information is recorded, paperwork completed and that the pet is immediately assessed for behavioural or veterinary problems. Working closely with the Adoptions Coordinator you will provide additional in person or virtual advice and practical demonstrations to ensure adoptees are fully aware of the work that has been done with the pet and how to continue with any other additional behaviour training or medical provision. This role is 26.25 hours per week working alternate 3 and 4 day weeks. These days will be a mix of weekday and weekend working. This is a fixed term contract until August 2026.
About you
You will be intuitive with pets, empathetic and welfare focused having worked in a similar animal related environment. You will also be used to assessing the needs of a pet, alert to the behavioural signs and have a basic knowledge of the use of medication e.g., hibiscrub, flea and tick treatments, diabetes management. In addition, you will have a fundamental understanding that the best welfare intervention for a pet is to find a new home and leave on site pet accommodation as quickly as possible. You will be self-motivated, forward thinking with a collaborative and creative approach to your work, which will ensure to bring your best pragmatic ideas for the care of the pets to ensure the best outcome is achieved. In addition, you will be able to quickly assimilate information, be competent at accurately recording information while also conducting conversations with clients and stakeholders. You will be an excellent communicator, approachable with strong interpersonal skills. You will know what it is like to work in an emotionally charged environment and have excellent ‘bounce back ability’ and resilience. In addition, you will be emotionally intelligent, showing empathy and knowing how to support clients and colleagues.
Knowledge, skills, and experience
- Experience of having previously worked or volunteered with domestic animals or in an animal welfare environment.
- Previous experience of working in a customer focused environment and used to achieving a high level of customer satisfaction.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Good organisational and administration skills to include computerised systems.
- Current full driving licence.
It would be great (but not essential) if you also had:
- Qualification or similar experience in animal behaviour or animal training.
- Experience of cash handling.
- Experience of working to strict health and safety procedures.
- Understanding of safeguarding issues.
How to apply
Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Thursday 4th December 2025. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.
Blue Cross benefits
Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today. In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are. Our generous benefits package includes:
- Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)
- Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
- Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family
- Health cash plan
- Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme
- Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
- Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.
- Life assurance
- 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance
- Enhanced family friendly policies
- Recognition scheme
- Annual volunteer days
- Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers
To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.
Pet Welfare Assistant - Onsite Services: fixed term contract (26.25 hours) in Southampton employer: Blue Cross For Pets
Contact Detail:
Blue Cross For Pets Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Pet Welfare Assistant - Onsite Services: fixed term contract (26.25 hours) in Southampton
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the organisation! Research Blue Cross and their mission. Understanding their values will help you connect during interviews and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice your animal handling skills! If you've got experience with pets, brush up on those techniques. Being able to demonstrate your skills in a practical setting can really set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 3
Network with current employees! Reach out on LinkedIn or through mutual connections. They can provide insider tips about the interview process and what it’s like to work at Blue Cross.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team and makes it easier for us to keep track of your application.
We think you need these skills to ace Pet Welfare Assistant - Onsite Services: fixed term contract (26.25 hours) in Southampton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Animal Welfare: When writing your application, let your love for animals shine through! Share any relevant experiences you've had with pets or in animal welfare. We want to see that you genuinely care about the well-being of animals.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight how your skills and experiences match the role of Pet Welfare Assistant. Use keywords from the job description to show us you understand what we're looking for!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid fluff and focus on what makes you a great fit for the role. Remember, we’re looking for strong communication skills!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the easiest way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it gives you a chance to explore more about what we do at Blue Cross.
How to prepare for a job interview at Blue Cross For Pets
✨Know Your Stuff About Animal Welfare
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of animal welfare standards and rehabilitation plans. Familiarise yourself with common behavioural signs in pets and any relevant medication treatments. This will show that you're not just passionate about animals, but also knowledgeable about their care.
✨Show Your Empathy and Communication Skills
As a Pet Welfare Assistant, you'll be dealing with both animals and their owners. Practice how you can convey empathy and understanding during tough conversations. Think of examples from your past experiences where you've successfully communicated with clients or handled emotional situations.
✨Prepare for Practical Demonstrations
Since the role involves providing advice and practical demonstrations to adopters, think about how you would explain the rehabilitation process or behaviour training. You might even want to prepare a mini-demo or outline how you'd approach these discussions during the interview.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Your Resilience
Working in an emotionally charged environment can be tough. Be prepared to share examples of how you've bounced back from challenging situations in the past. Highlight your resilience and ability to stay focused on the welfare of the pets, even when things get tough.