Meet the Rehoming Team: Karen Green - Charity & Welfare Sector Manager

With more than 30 years in animal welfare, Karen Green brings a wealth of experience and compassion to Agria’s Rehoming Team. From working with the RSPCA to supporting hundreds of rescue and rehoming organisations today, Karen has dedicated her life to animal welfare and helping to ensure adopted pets get the very best start in their new homes.

We sat down with Karen to find out more about her journey, her role at Agria, and her hopes for the future of rescue.

Can you tell us a little about your journey in animal welfare — how did you get started and what’s kept you so passionate for 30+ years?

Animal welfare has always been part of who I am. My teachers mentioned it at parents’ evenings when I was a child, and my love for animals hasn’t wavered since.

My career has taken me from volunteering for the RSPCA to managing boarding kennels, training as a groomer, selling infection control products in the veterinary and charity sectors, and more recently, working with animal rescuess  in the rehoming and charity sector for Agria. What makes this role special is that I can be out there, offering something essential and  free to organisations that desperately need support.

Alongside my professional work, I’ve volunteered in many roles, from collecting surrendered pets to take them to their rehoming organisation to doing  home checks for potential adopters. I also have my own much-loved rescue dogs — Bella, Chico, Toots and Pirate  — all chihuahuas and all constant reminders of why adopting is so rewarding.

What has made you proud to work in the rescue and rehoming sector over the last 30 years?

One thing that hasn’t changed is the resilience and determination of the people who work in rescue. They never give up and always put the welfare of the animals first, even if it means a longer wait to find the right family for an animal. The cost of living crisis and Covid put even more pressure on them and they still persevere. I am humbled by these incredible people.

What has evolved in my time working in the industry is the move towards more foster networks, where dogs  and cats can be placed in homes and assessed in a family setting. A dog’s behaviour in a kennel is often very different from their personality in a home, so this shift has been a positive step for animal welfare and more successful adoptions. Of course there will always be a vital need for kennels and catteries to house the pets looking for forever homes, but fosterers are essential when a dog or cat is struggling in a shelter environment.

What do you enjoy most about working with rescues and rehoming organisations?

It’s the compassion of the people and the courage of the animals. Dogs and cats can go through unimaginable situations, our partners are rewarded by witnessing the moment they start to trust again. That lightbulb point in time, when an animal begins to heal and flourish, is the most rewarding part of the work and we love hearing about the animals’ journeys to recovery that our partners share with us.

What does your role at Agria’s Rehoming Team involve day-to-day?

Our team recruit new rescue and rehoming partners and support over 560 organisations, from large charities to smaller, rare-breed rescues. We are also involved in events, from Agria-inspired community activities to fundraising celebrations with our rescue and rehoming partners. Every day is different, but at the heart of it all is making sure the partners and the adopted pets are supported. For me, it is the dream job.

How do you and the team support rehoming organisations across the UK?

We work with all kinds of rescues, from physical rehoming centres to small community organisations. That support can mean face-to-face visits, training on the advantages of giving every eligible pet  an Agria 5 Weeks Free policy, or just being there to understand their challenges. For all organisations, it’s often about helping them engage with adopters in ways that give pets the best possible chance of a secure future.

What do you think makes Agria’s approach stand out for rehoming organisations?

Quite simply, it’s that the welfare of animals is always at the centre of what we do. Our 5 Weeks Free support network demonstrates this; it gives adopters  peace of mind from day one and ensures rehoming organisations can rehome pets with confidence.

What do you hope to achieve for rescues and adopted pets in the coming years through Agria’s support?

I’d like Agria to be the first-choice company for rehoming organisations, recognised as the gold standard of support and welfare. If we can keep building trust and making life easier for partners, then more pets will find their perfect homes, and that’s what it’s all about.

Every adopted cat or dog rehomed through an Agria partner can receive 5 Weeks Free Insurance, with no upper age limit and the option to continue onto a full  lifetime cover policy.  It’s just one of the ways we’re helping more pets find loving homes.