Animal Rescue Officer

Overview

Job preview:
As an Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) with the RSPCA, you'll respond to reports of cruelty, neglect, or injury and play a vital role in preventing animal suffering through education, advice, and, where necessary, intervention. This work is physically and emotionally demanding, but deeply meaningful and rewarding, with the opportunity to see the direct impact of your decisions on animals’ lives and the people connected to them.

You’ll have access to mental health resources, inclusive policies, and ongoing development opportunities to support wellbeing and career progression.

Much of the role involves working independently and travelling long distances, including frequent motorway driving and visits to remote rural locations. You’ll often be out on your own but remain connected to a supportive team. Comprehensive training, equipment, and guidance are provided to help you work safely and confidently. You will regularly engage with members of the public in emotionally charged situations, requiring effective communication, quick information gathering under pressure, and calm, confident influencing skills to de-escalate tensions while remaining professional and empathetic.

There are few careers that combine pursuing a personal passion with making a real difference in the world. As an ARO, you’ll help improve animals’ lives every day. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds who are resilient, reflective, committed to learning, and motivated by making a difference—even if you don’t meet every requirement perfectly but share our values.

• Respond to reports of cruelty, neglect, or injury and determine appropriate actions.
• Educate, advise, and intervene where necessary to prevent animal suffering.
• Travel frequently, including long distances and remote locations, while maintaining safety and professionalism.
• Engage with the public in emotionally charged situations, ask questions quickly, gather accurate information under pressure, and de-escalate tensions using calm, confident communication.
• Collaborate with a supportive team and follow established procedures to achieve accountable outcomes for animal welfare and public safety.

• We welcome applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds. Prior animal welfare experience is not required; many skills come from other roles, volunteering, or community-facing work.

• Aged 17 or over at application and 18 by the course start date
• Resilience, good judgement, and strong communication skills, with the ability to handle sensitive conversations
• Ability to work independently, with support from a wider team
• Willingness to work varied shifts between 8am and 9pm, including bank holidays and weekends
• Availability to start on 18 May 2026 and commit to a continuous, intensive 26-week training programme
• Flexibility to travel for training across the country, with occasional overnight stays
• Full manual driving licence, with recent experience and confidence driving long distances (up to 150 miles per day)
• Comfortable with lone working
• Confident swimmer: able to swim 50 metres fully clothed within 2.5 minutes by the point of assessment during training

• For more information on recruitment and pre-employment checking, refer to the attached document: ARO Recruitment and Pre-Employment Process – Advert
• Working hours:
  
  AROs work a range of shifts between 8am and 9pm, including bank holidays and weekends; rotas are planned in advance where possible with wellbeing in mind.
• Training and support: 26-week programme with ongoing support after placement
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
  We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to inclusion of minority ethnic communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those from non-traditional career paths

If you need support with your application or interview, please contact  or . We encourage early applications as we may close the advert early if recruitment targets are met. Final note: good luck with your application—we look forward to hearing from you.