About this role
Contract: Permanent, 26.25 hours per week Salary: £17,484 per annum (£24,976 FTE) Location: Burford, OX18 4PF Closing date: Wednesday 5th August 2026 Interview date: Thursday 13th August 2026 We’re recruiting a Pet Welfare Assistant for onsite animal care within our Rehoming & Fostering team in Burford! This role will be mainly be providing care for our smaller animals such as rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats, guinea pigs, chinchillas and degus. At Blue Cross, we're dedicated to providing the best care possible to pets in need. As a Pet Welfare Assistant for our onsite services, you'll play an important role in our mission, ensuring that every pet receives the love, attention, and support they deserve during their stay at our Burford rehoming centre. As a skilled animal handler and assessor, you will be responsible for the ‘preparation stage’ with the pets in our care which involves caring, carrying out assessments and rehabilitation plans, preparing them for the ‘adoption stage’ or the best possible outcome for their circumstances with minimal delay. As a Pet Welfare Assistant, you will ensure that the welfare standards are met and that rehabilitation plans are followed and supported for pets in our care. Working independently and with the team you will carry out meetings with owners giving up their pet, ensuring all information is recorded, paperwork completed and that the pet is immediately assessed for behavioural or veterinary problems. Working closely with the Adoptions Coordinator you will provide additional in person or virtual advice and practical demonstrations to ensure new owners are fully aware of the work that has been done with the pet and how to continue with any other additional behaviour training or medical provision. This is a part-time role working an average of 26.25 hours a week on a 2 week rota. Week 1 – Monday, Tuesday, Friday Week 2 – Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday At our Burford rehoming centre, we provide onsite accommodation for pets in our care 24/7. Overnight shifts are usually undertaken by team members who live on site. Occasionally, you will be expected to carry out night checks or stay in onsite accommodation overnight when the resident team members are either not working or away for a period of time. If you excel in an environment where you can see the difference you make every day, then this is the role for you. Interested? Then apply and let’s work together to see if this is the role for you.