Archive Website of the UK government

Volunteering to work with animals

Volunteering activities available for people who want to work with animals include:

• dog walking and kennel duties
  
• looking after injured animals
  
• working at local community farms
  
• monitoring local wildlife
  
• working with stray and feral cats
  
• helping out at the local zoo
  

Before volunteering your time, you should think about the level of commitment you are willing to provide. Looking after animals can be hard, physical work and you may need some training.

Most animal rescue centres won't expect you to be an animal specialist. However, a love of animals and the desire to learn more about them will help.

Volunteering for a non-animal job for an animal charity

Working with animals doesn't mean you have to work directly with them. You can also volunteer for non-animal jobs like events organising or photography for an animal or wildlife charity.

Finding animal volunteering opportunities

For a full range of volunteering ideas, visit Do-it, the national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK.

Some volunteer positions may require criminal record checks. See 'Criminal record checks - an introduction' for more information.

• Search 'Do-it' for a volunteering opportunity to work with animals Opens new window

• Criminal record checks: an introduction (employment section)

Green volunteering

‘Green volunteering’ is a way of working for organisations that make a positive environmental difference in your community. By taking small steps locally, you can make a big environmental difference globally.

These small, local steps include getting involved with:

• local wildlife conservation initiatives
• supporting environmental education projects
• recycling

Find out more about greener living and the Big Tree Plant scheme.

• Reducing waste, reusing and repairing (environment and greener living section)

• The Big Tree Plant: plant more trees in your community Opens new window

Finding green volunteering opportunities

There are a number of ways to find green volunteering opportunities near you. You can:

• search the Do-it.org national volunteering database for an environmental opportunity
  
• check the Volunteering England website, which gives you details of local volunteering opportunities and volunteer centres
  
• check the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) website
  

The BTCV website also tells you about volunteering conservation holidays and how to join a conservation group near you. If you want to get fit and help with conservation projects in your community, you can join one of the BTCV's free Green Gyms.

• Search the Do-it.org national volunteering database Opens new window

• Volunteering England: I want to volunteer Opens new window

• Volunteering for BTCV Opens new window

Countryside volunteering

If you are particularly interested in volunteering in the countryside, contact your local council.

• Find out about countryside volunteering Opens new window

Getting together with others to be greener

Get together with your friends or neighbours to see what you can do to improve the environment. By taking small actions in your household, you can help reduce climate change.

Global Action Plan (GAP) runs a programme called EcoTeams. This helps you set up a group within your local community, or with friends or colleagues. An EcoTeam is a group of at least four people who meet every month to encourage each other to achieve a greener lifestyle and compare progress.

• Set up an EcoTeam Opens new window

• Climate change: a quick guide (environment and greener living section)

Find out about other volunteers' experiences

Read about other people's volunteering experiences in 'Case studies - volunteer experiences'.

• Case studies - volunteering experiences

More useful links

• Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Opens new window

• The Blue Cross Opens new window

• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Opens new window

• The British Horse Society Opens new window

Useful contacts

• Home and community contacts