Volunteering
As the UK’s largest rehoming charity, we have every breed of opportunity for you to get involved with, to match all manner of interests and skillsets.
Why volunteer for us?
Volunteering with us is one of the best ways you can support our work for rescue dogs and help us get even more pooches back on their paws!
It's important to us all of our volunteers are comfortable and confident in their role. So when joining our team you'll be given all the training you need. We'll support you in developing new skills and gaining further experience in whatever role you choose.
Give your time today and help us care for dogs when they need us most.
Our volunteering opportunities
From raising money working in our charity shops to helping our rehoming centres as a dog walker, gardener, or foster carer, - there are plenty of fetching volunteering roles to get involved with, have fun, and help our four-legged friends to live their best lives.
FAQs
Do I need any specific skills to volunteer?
Generally, no. You don’t need specific skills to volunteer with us. It may be beneficial to have a working knowledge in some areas - in maintenance and gardening roles, for example - but we welcome applications from everyone.
Any experience or skills required will be listed in our role descriptions.
Volunteering can be a fantastic way to develop new skills and gain further experience and we’ve developed our roles to enable you to do that with us.
Will volunteering affect my benefits?
No. Volunteering should not affect the benefits you receive. It is generally advised to check with your local issuing authority though, just to be sure.
Will I need to bring anything with me to volunteer with you?
We will need to see photographic evidence of your identity, such as a passport or drivers licence and we will need to see a current proof of address. You can bring these along to the informal interview stage, just so we can verify your identity.
We will also expect you to wear suitable clothing for the task in hand, so sturdy walking boots or wellies if working alongside our dogs.
I’m not a British national, can I still volunteer?
Non-UK applicants need to provide evidence of their right to work or right to remain in the UK (for example, evidence of their work permit or visa). We don’t support placement requests from overseas students, and we aren’t able to help individuals obtain the necessary evidence to volunteer with us.
How old do I need to be to volunteer with you?
We do ask that all of our volunteers are over the age of 18.
Applications from everyone aged over 18 are always welcome - whether you're fresh out of college, or just starting to enjoy you're retirement!
Becoming a volunteer
For the majority of our volunteering roles, the main requirement is a positive attitude and a love of dogs (even if it’s at a distance)!
We welcome volunteering applications from all backgrounds but will be sure to list any specific requirements needed in the role descriptions.
If you are under 18 please contact the centre you want to volunteer at first. Our standard age for volunteers at Dogs Trust is 18 but we are sometimes able to accommodate young people from 16. Please check before you apply.
Our rehoming centre or shop volunteers typically contribute up to three hours a week, but we are grateful for any time you can commit and would love to hear from you.
What it's like to volunteer for us
Wondering what it’s like to volunteer with us? Hear directly from our volunteers in our video series, Volunteering Tails.
Contact our Volunteering team
If you need any help with your application you can email our Volunteering Team who will be here to assist you.
Thanks for your interest in volunteering with Dogs Trust.