Exciting opportunity as RSPCA seeks to hire animal rescue officers in Thames Valley

5th December 2024

The charity is looking to recruit passionate animal lovers across the counties

The RSPCA has launched an exciting opportunity as the charity looks to hire 24 animal rescue officers across England and Wales including two roles across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

The charity's animal rescue officers are frontline workers who respond to reports of cruelty, neglect and injury, deal with complaints and collect and rescue injured and trapped animals. They carry out some of the vital work of the RSPCA working alongside charity inspectors in making a real difference to the lives of animals.

There are currently 179 animal rescue officers across England and Wales and these new vacancies will bring that number to over 200. Together with the inspectors, animal rescue officers have responded to a whopping 247,265 incidents from January to November this year.

Steve Bennett, RSPCA Chief Inspectorate Officer,  said: "Our animal rescue officers are a critical part of our amazing frontline teams who respond to reports of cruelty, neglect and injury and work to help prevent and reduce these through sharing advice and education with pet owners and members of the public.

"There is no typical day in the life of an ARO, but you can expect to work closely with people and animals everyday, offering the opportunity for a career that is both varied and rewarding and helps to make a real difference to animal's lives on a daily basis. 

"It can be a challenging role, and you may encounter upsetting and stressful situations so we are looking for resilient, independent thinkers who can deal with difficult situations with empathy and with the ability to stay calm, professional and focused. And whilst there can be difficult situations to tackle, you will work in a team who understands and will ensure you feel supported."

The RSPCA is recruiting for two animal rescue officers in various areas across the Thames Valley area including Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Amersham, Chesham and Banbury (see specific postcodes below)

Successful applicants will attend a four-month training course, which starts in April 2025 to help best equip them for the challenges of the role. The training can include swimming 50 metres fully clothed and carrying out water rescue training in preparation for what can be a physically-demanding role.

The RSPCA wants to hire animal rescue officers from across our diverse communities and so applications are actively encouraged from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, gender, race, faith, sexual orientation, parental or relationship status.

Applicants - who must be 18 by the time they start the course - need to demonstrate their passion for animal welfare and their dedication to end cruelty and promote kindness and respect. 

They also need to live within one of the specified postcodes for the location they are applying to. We are unable to consider applications from candidates who wish to relocate.

They will need a full manual driving licence, and have attained a level 2 qualification in English at GCSE.

All the roles involve working a shift pattern, including some weekends and Bank Holidays, and they are available at:  

Interested applicants have until 27 December 2024 to apply. For more information on these roles, visit: https://jobs.rspca.org.uk/jobs/home