Animal Rescue Officer

Our AROs play a critical role at the RSPCA responding to reports of animal cruelty, neglect or injury. You will work proactively to prevent or reduce the incidence of animal cruelty and neglect through interactions with members of the public, sharing knowledge through education and advice to owners.

This role requires a strong commitment to animal welfare and the ability to handle challenging situations with empathy and professionalism.

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.

You will encounter upsetting and stressful situations involving animals and their owners, so you'll need to be able to make decisions and take action in the moment.

You'll offer advice and support and work with other agencies to secure the welfare of animals. This may mean having challenging conversations with confidence to ensure the best outcome is achieved for the animal(s) and all concerned.

The ARO role allows you to work autonomously as you'll spend a large part of your day on the road visiting unfamiliar remote and urban locations alone.

The work can also be physically demanding as you'll be lifting and carrying heavy equipment and animals, as well as working at height, in confined spaces or even on water! We will provide full training to ensure you can carry out your duties safely and effectively.

There are not many people who have a career that they are passionate about, but being an ARO means you'll be addressing animal welfare needs and creating an opportunity for them to have a better life on a daily basis.

You will need to be a resilient, independent thinker who thrives as a lone worker and can adapt to people's changing emotions and challenging situations with ease.

Securing the welfare of animals is not a 9-5 job. Our Animal Rescue Officers (AROs) work varied shifts between 8am and 9pm, including weekends, and occasionally stay later to complete their tasks.

Location: We will only consider applications from candidates who live within the parameters of the postcodes detailed in the advert. For the current campaign we are not considering applications from candidates who wish to relocate.

Age Requirement: Must be 17 or older to apply and 18 by the course start date.

Availability: Must be available to start on 28th April 2025 and commit to a continuous intensive training period for 20 weeks without annual leave.

Travel Flexibility: Training will take place at various locations across the country requiring occasional overnight stays.

Driving: A full manual driver's licence with recent manual driving experience and confidence in driving long distances.

Qualifications: Ideally, you should have a Level 2 qualification in English Language (GCSE grade C or above, or Grades 4-9).

Swimming: You must be a confident swimmer i.e.able to swim 50 metres fully clothed within 2.5 minutes by the time you are assessed within the ARO training course.

Do you have excellent communication skills, with a knack for defusing confrontational situations?

Are you ready to join our movement? Apply now to join our dedicated team of Animal Rescue Officers.

Successful candidates will need to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check., Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

For 200 years, the RSPCA has been a voice for animals. We've been changing minds, laws, industries and lives to create a better world for animals and people alike. A key part of our work is delivered by our dedicated Animal Rescue Officers (ARO), and we are excited to announce new openings for ARO positions across England and Wales.