Pet rescues serve an important purpose in helping animals in need. They act as a safety net for pets who may have faced challenges or tough situations. The main goal of a pet rescue is to find loving and caring homes for animals that have been abandoned, abused, or are unable to stay in their previous homes for various reasons.
These rescues work tirelessly to provide shelter, food, and medical care for these pets. They also work on behavioural rehabilitation, especially for animals that may have faced trauma. Many rescues also provide education and community outreach to inform people about animal welfare and care.
While every pet rescue is different, there are some common themes you can expect:
- A love of animals – you’ll need to be willing to care for and work with all kinds of animals, from guinea pigs to horses.
- Education and advocacy – pet rescues are often passionate about educating the public about proper pet care and advocating for animal rights.
- You’ll need to be emotionally resilient – while you’ll get to experience lots of positive moments, the work can sometimes be challenging too.
Provide care and shelter to pets in need
People who work or volunteer at pet rescues need to be passionate about animals and must devote their time and energy to making sure each pet finds the right home, no matter what their role is.
Key tasks
- Provide shelter and safe environment for animals
- Offer food, water, and basic medical care
- Assess and address behavioural and emotional needs
- Facilitate adoption process and interviews with potential owners
- Organise and promote adoption events and fundraisers
- Coordinate with veterinarians for health check-ups and treatments
- Keep accurate records of each animal’s history and progress
- Engage in community outreach and education about pet care
- Clean and maintain facilities for a safe and hygienic environment
- Offer support and care to newly adopted pets and owners
You can find pet rescues in the arts and recreation services and agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries
Pet rescues are usually found in the arts and recreation services and agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries. Certain pet rescues might like to focus on one particular kind of animal, such as dogs or cats, while others might tend to more specialised species such as pocket pets, farm animals, or reptiles.
You can expect varied hours and on-site work
Varied hours | Work on-site | Jobs more common in metro areas | Strong job growth
While pet rescue facilities may have specific hours they are open to the public, usually between 9 and 5, they often need people to care for the animals 24/7. The exact hours you work will depend on your role in the organisation.
On-site work is traditionally more common in pet rescues, but if you choose to foster animals you can work from your own home. Some administrative, IT, and marketing tasks may also be done remotely.
Pet rescues can be found in both metro and rural areas, but they tend to be more prevalent in metro areas, as cities often have a higher demand for pet adoption services. While there may be fewer pet rescues in rural areas, they still play a crucial role in helping animals in need, particularly due to limited resources or access to veterinary care.
The Career Clusters you’ll find in a pet rescue
People from all Clusters are needed for a pet rescue to run successfully, but Linkers, Informers, and Guardians are typically the most common Clusters. In many roles, you might find yourself performing tasks across multiple Clusters.
