Animal rescuer Q&A - NextGen
Tell us all about your job!
I’ve worked for the RSPCA for more than four years, but I became an Animal Rescue Officer in South Wales in February 2023. I visit all kinds of sick, injured and stranded animals and transport them to safety.
How did you get this job?
I studied for my Bachelor of Science in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at university and volunteered with other animal charities in my spare time. Afterwards, I worked as a carer at RSPCA Newport Animal Centre.
I loved being a carer, but my dream was a rescuing role. So I took a job as an Animal Warden for my local council – checking up on lost and distressed animals. A year later, I applied and got the job of RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer!
What do you love most about the work?
I love visiting different places and meeting different people. I never know what will happen next! And I love helping animals out of difficult situations and getting them to safety.
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What’s your best ever rescue?
Someone once reported that a golden eagle was trapped in a bush in their garden. Calls about eagles usually turn out to be smaller birds of prey, so I was shocked to see an actual golden eagle. He was so big he came up to my hip!
It turns out, he belonged to a specialist bird-of-prey keeper. I untangled him from the branches, then – after causing a sensation at the vets during his check-up – he went home safely to his keeper.
Do you have any advice for someone who’d like a job like yours?
Get as much volunteering experience as you can, with as many species as possible. Different animals have different needs and getting experience will help you work out which kinds of animals you’d like to focus on – be it pets, farm animals or wildlife. As for me, I love all animals, but dogs especially!