Blue Cross is urgently seeking volunteer foster carers to help the pet charity in Sheffield assist more animals in need. The national charity’s rehoming and advice unit on Old Station Drive currently has a waiting list of more than 31 cats, dogs, and small animals who require help to find a new home. However, the unit does not have accommodation on site, so the charity is appealing for more foster carers to volunteer and provide a temporary home for these animals until the charity can assess and find loving new forever homes for them.
Last year, the unit helped 289 cats, dogs, and small animals find new forever homes. Nationally, the charity has seen the number of dogs arriving at its rehoming centres increase by 122% and cats by 80% over the last four years, amid a hidden pet welfare crisis. Owners are struggling behind closed doors to cover the rising cost of living and being forced to make difficult decisions about their beloved pets.
The charity offers a Home Direct scheme, which means animals can be rehomed from their current home following an assessment by the Blue Cross team, but this is not always possible for owners who urgently need to rehome their pet. Volunteer foster carer Leon Hill has cared for 12 cats since January 2025 and urges any animal lovers to follow in his footsteps.
Currently fostering a cat called Munchkin, he said: “As someone who can’t currently own a cat due to frequent travelling, fostering is the next best thing for me. It’s great to have the opportunity to have a companion when I’m available, but it’s even better to know you’re helping a pet on its way to its forever home. I didn’t expect it to be so easy to do, but the team at Sheffield Blue Cross are always on hand to help and provide me with everything that I need. You can work from home or at the office, and Blue Cross will help you balance whatever works for you. I couldn’t recommend fostering enough; it brings a new layer of joy to life and supports the charity to do what it does best.”
Foster carers receive full training, with all costs including pet food, vet bills, and travel covered by Blue Cross. Gina Penk, assistant manager at Blue Cross’s rehoming and advice unit in Sheffield, said: “We urgently need more foster carers like Leon to help us help more animals in the area. Right now, here in Sheffield, there are pets waiting for a safe place to go. Many pets come to us because their owners are facing incredibly difficult situations and have nowhere else to turn.
“Our volunteer foster carers provide a temporary home and care for our animals until we can find loving forever homes for them. They can also help many small animals grow in confidence and help us understand the kind of forever home we need to find for them. We’re seeing more pets needing help than ever, and without more foster homes, we won’t be able to help every pet who needs us. Unlike other Blue Cross centres, we don’t have kennels or catteries on site. We are entirely community-based, which means every pet that comes into our care relies on a foster home. Quite simply, without foster carers, we can’t do what we do. And this is why we need your help!
“Fostering means offering a temporary home to a pet while they wait for their forever family. That might be an older terrier, a labrador, or a cat needing a family for a short period of time. We even need fosters for small pets like guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils. You don’t need lots of experience or the perfect home to foster. We welcome people from all kinds of homes and lifestyles, and we work with each person to match them with pets that suit them. We cover all costs, provide training, and our team is here 365 days a year, supporting you every step of the way.
“We get dogs and cats of every shape and size in need of our help. Most pets only need foster for a few days or weeks before they find adoptive families.”
Some of the dogs who have gone on to new homes following time in a foster home include: Ella, at just three months old, had to have her leg amputated. She recovered in a loving foster home, with the rest, medication, playtime, and TLC she needed, before we found her forever home. Poppy and Princess fully embraced the foster life, with their days made up of mealtimes, naps, gentle walks, and pottering in the garden, a tough life for a foster dog! Percy is a bright and energetic boy who enjoys exploring the outdoors, running, and keeping his mind active. During his time in foster, he learned new tricks and built his confidence, making him even more irresistible to his new owners.
Gina added: “Fostering doesn’t just change a pet’s life; it can change yours too. It’s a chance to meet new people, feel part of a supportive local team, learn new skills, and bring companionship into your home. If you have some space at home and want to make a difference, you could be the reason a pet gets a second chance. And if you’re not sure whether you’d be suitable, we’d always encourage you to get in touch for a chat.”
For more information on volunteering opportunities at Blue Cross Sheffield, visit bluecross.org.uk/volunteer or call the rehoming and advice unit on 0300 777 1851.
