Step Into Jobs / Animal care

Entry-level animal care jobs

Animal care covers hands-on work at rescue centres, kennels and catteries, veterinary practices, wildlife and conservation sites and equestrian yards. Much of it is entry-level, and apprenticeships are a common way in for people with no previous experience. There are 17 paid animal care vacancies on Step Into Jobs right now, and 4 volunteer positions listed separately.

The routes into animal work

Three routes account for most entry-level animal care hiring. Animal care assistant roles at rescue and rehoming centres are the most common, and are usually written around willingness and reliability rather than qualifications. Apprenticeships combine paid work at a centre with a formal animal care qualification.

The third route is volunteering. It is unpaid, and we list it separately and label it clearly for that reason, but in this field it is genuinely how a lot of people get their first paid role - centres recruit from the people already helping them.

Live Animal care vacancies

  1. Volunteer Designer for animal charity (Volunteer - unpaid)
    RSPCA NW London & S Herts Branch
  2. Equine Groom Apprentice - Busy riding school / Livery yard
    Dovecote Farm Equestrian - Nottingham, GB - GBP 8.0
  3. Animal Care and Welfare Assistant - Gauntlet Birds of Prey
    Gauntlet Birds of Prey, Eagle and Vulture Park - Knutsford, GB - GBP 8.0
  4. Equine Groom Apprentice - Livery Yard in Notts
    Buckleap Stables - Nottingham, GB - GBP 8.0
  5. Dog Trainer
    Canine Partners - Northampton, GB, GB - Are you looking for volunteer roles ?Go to volunteering sectionClear FiltersApply FiltersYou’ve reached the maximum number of filters
  6. Cat Intake & Foster Coordinator and Cattery Carer (1 x Permanent and 1 x 6 months FTC with a possibility of becoming permenant)
    Mayhew - London, England, GB - £28,773
  7. Charity Shop Volunteer - Whitstable Shop (Volunteer - unpaid)
    Sense - Whitstable, England, GB
  8. Wildlife Ranger
    Northumberland County Council - Morpeth, Northumberland, Northumberland, United Kingdom - £28,598
  9. Trustees Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust
    Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust - Sheffield, England, GB
  10. Junior Clinical Training Scholarship in Small Animal Primary Care
    University of Cambridge - Cambridge, England, United Kingdom - £21,970
  11. PhDVeterinary Medicine and Science
    University of Surrey - Online
  12. Apprentice Animal Care Assistant (3380)
    RSPCA - Block Fen Animal Centre , GB
  13. Apprentice Animal Care Assistant (3376)
    RSPCA - Southridge Animal Centre , GB
  14. Apprentice Animal Care Assistant (3378)
    RSPCA - Leybourne Animal Centre , GB
  15. Apprentice Animal Care Assistant (3379)
    RSPCA - Blackberry Farm Animal Centre , GB
  16. Look after a guide dog Mum (volunteer opportunity) (Volunteer - unpaid)
    The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
  17. Trainee guide dog fosterer (volunteer) (Volunteer - unpaid)
    The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
  18. Apprentice Animal Care Assistant (3375)
    RSPCA - Ashley Heath Animal Centre , GB
  19. Animal Care Apprenticeship
    Herrings Green Activity Farm - Bedford, GB - GBP 8.0
  20. Locum Veterinary Surgeons
    Glasgow.
  21. Veterinary Surgeons
    Uplands Way VetsHours:36 hours over 4 days

What the work actually involves

Hands-on animal care is physical, outdoor in large part, and involves cleaning, feeding, handling and record keeping as much as it involves animals directly. Weekend and bank holiday cover is normal because animals need care every day.

Veterinary support roles and wildlife or conservation posts sit alongside these and often ask for more: a veterinary nursing qualification, or a driving licence for a role covering a rural patch. Each vacancy states its own requirements.

How to apply

Each vacancy links to the original advertiser, where the centre, practice or charity runs its own application process. We do not collect applications ourselves.

Common questions

What qualifications do you need to work with animals?

For many entry-level roles, none. Animal care assistant posts at rescue centres are commonly written around reliability and physical willingness, with training on the job. Veterinary nursing and some specialist wildlife roles do require a formal qualification.

How do you get animal care experience with no experience?

Volunteering and apprenticeships are the two established routes. Centres frequently recruit paid staff from their existing volunteers, and an animal care apprenticeship pays you while you work toward a recognised qualification.

Are animal care jobs full time?

Both exist. Rescue and rehoming centres need cover seven days a week, so part time and weekend contracts are common alongside full time posts. The individual vacancy states its hours.