Volunteer for us
Join our team of volunteers and make a difference for our animals, whether you can give a little or a lot
If you’re looking for volunteering in Bath, Trowbridge, Frome and surrounding areas, we’d love you to join our team at Bath Cats & Dogs Home.
Giving your time is a wonderful gift to us. Our volunteers are the heart of what we do – assisting staff at our rehoming centre, supporting our charity shops and representing us in our community. Whether it's getting stuck into our laundry or being in charge of a collection at an event, every hour you can give helps our cats and dogs in need.
Together, we can do the best for our animals and the charity.
Why volunteer for Bath Cats & Dogs Home?
For an idea of what it's like to volunteer for us, check out our Volunteer Spotlight blog posts.
Email alerts
Nothing suitable right now? You can sign up to our email newsletter, and in your preferences sign up for the extra volunteer bulletin emails when we have new vacancies.
Current volunteering vacancies
PLEASE NOTE We cannot offer year 10 work experience, Duke of Edinburgh placements or volunteering roles for under 18s.
Volunteer opportunities in our Charity Shops
Bath Cats & Dogs Home - George Street (Bath), Moorland Road (Bath), Trowbridge & Frome
We have fantastic volunteer opportunities across our charity shops, with flexible slots available on various days and times to suit everyone. Volunteering with us is a brilliant way to develop and expand your retail skills, gain valuable work experience for your CV, meet new people, and boost your confidence - all while making a meaningful difference to unwanted and abandoned animals in need.
Role Profile
Our shop volunteers play a vital part in the day to day running of our charity shops and help maximise sales to support Bath Cats & Dogs Home. Whether you enjoy being on the shop floor in a customer facing role or prefer helping behind the scenes, there are plenty of tasks to get involved with.
Your activities may include:
- Assisting and serving customers at the till
- Providing excellent customer service on the shop floor
- Creating attractive displays and supporting visual merchandising
- Receiving donations and promoting our Gift Aid scheme
- General shop tasks such as tidying, cleaning, dusting, and hoovering
About You
You’ll be an enthusiastic individual who enjoys meeting new people and has a passion for animals and charity retail. We ask that you are friendly, well presented, reliable, trustworthy, and able to commit to regular hours each week.
Previous retail experience is welcome but not essential. Please note that some manual handling may be required as part of the role.
We provide full inperson training covering donation sorting, retail guidelines, and our waste management and recycling processes.
How to Apply
All volunteers must complete online Health & Safety training before starting. Due to insurance restrictions, volunteers must be 18 or over.
To apply, simply click the link below and complete the application form. If your application is suitable, we will invite you for a taster session in your preferred shop.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Angela Chapman, Head of People & Facilities:
angelachapman@bcdh.org.uk
Could you be a cat foster volunteer?
Some cats find cattery life really tough - and a home environment can make all the difference, especially for kittens or nursing mums. That's where our foster volunteers come in.
We're looking for cat lovers within 30 minutes of Bath who have a spare room and time to give. No experience needed - we'll provide full training and support. We cover all costs: food, litter, bedding, toys and any medical care.
We welcome applications from all households - families, pet owners and adults-only homes alike.
Want to know more?
Read all about fostering on our dedicated fostering page » Fostering with Bath Cats and Dogs Home
Ready to apply?
Complete the application form below and our Foster Coordinator Emma will be in touch.
Any questions? Our fostering page (link above) covers a lot of FAQS, or drop Emma a line at emmalangton@bcdh.org.uk
Why foster a dog or puppy?
Animal fostering is one of the most rewarding ways to help rescue pets in need.
Some of our rescue cats and dogs need a home environment for their best welfare at this time. As a fosterer, you'll be an amazing part of these animals' journey to a new home, fully supported by our experienced foster team.
Could you be a puppy or dog foster volunteer?
We're looking for dog lovers within 45 minutes of Bath who have time to give. No experience needed - we'll provide full training and support. We cover all costs: food, bedding, toys and any medical care.
We welcome applications from all households - families, pet owners - although we are particularly in need of adult-only pet-free homes.
It's a flexible commitment (from 6 weeks +). You can still go on holiday, and you can bring them back at any time if it just isn’t working out.
Want to know more?
Read all about fostering on our dedicated fostering page » Fostering with Bath Cats and Dogs Home
Ready to apply?
Complete the application form below and our Foster Coordinator Emma will be in touch.
Any questions? Our fostering page (link above) covers a lot of FAQS, or drop Emma a line at emmalangton@bcdh.org.uk
Bath Cats and Dogs Home transforms the lives of vulnerable animals from across the Southwest. At their main site at Claverton Down, they take in cats and dogs that have been abandoned, or rescued by the RSPCA, or whose owners have passed away or are no longer able to care for them.
Last year they opened a gallery space in the reception building and have hosted a rolling programme of exhibitions. The exhibitions have been curated by a small team of volunteers and there is now an opening for two new curators to take on the space.
It’s an exciting opportunity to engage the public in a creative way with animal welfare and the complex relationships between humans and other animals. It’s a working space with many uses, and many people and animals passing through. And, through sales and commission, it’s a chance to generate much needed income to help the charity.
About the Role:
As a volunteer curator you will help with all aspects of the exhibitions: generating and developing ideas, liaising with artists, scheduling exhibitions, physically hanging the artwork, and all the necessary administration that must happen in the background. It’s a great opportunity to gain the full experience of running a gallery.
You will work closely with a member of the Bath Cats and Dogs staff team. There’s usually an online catch-up once a week to develop ideas and check-in on progress. Exhibitions are currently running for around six weeks. At each changeover, you’ll be available to help transport artwork as needed, hang and arrange the exhibition, and help with opening events and views.
As a fairly new role, there’s plenty of opportunity to shape how the gallery space is used and further develop the role of volunteer curator.
About You:
You will be an outgoing and creative person with an interest in gallery work and animal welfare.
You will be sensitive to the different uses of the space and able to develop exhibition ideas that work for the variety of people who visit Bath Cats & Dogs Home.
You will be computer literate, organised, and work well in a team. There is a manual handling element to this volunteer role which should be considered.
You will be able to commit to the role for a minimum of 12 months.
How to Apply:
Please complete the application form with any details of relevant experience. The deadline for applications is Friday 14 August.
All Bath Cats and Dogs Home volunteers are required to complete online Health & Safety training prior to their start date. Due to insurance restrictions, all volunteers must be over the age of 18.
Click the link below to complete an application form.