Veterinarian - Shelter Medicine

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is currently seeking a Veterinarian to join our Shelter Medicine team. This is a full-time, FLSA exempt opportunity.

Since 1897, the Humane Society for Southwest Washington (HSSW) has been caring for the animals of Southwest Washington. Today, we are the largest animal welfare agency in Southwest Washington with campuses in Vancouver and Longview, where we help thousands of adoptable pets find shelter, TLC, and loving homes. And through programs like free pet food, emergency shelter, financial assistance, and medical care, we provide critical support that helps pets in need stay home with the families they love. Thanks to our hardworking staff and volunteers, we serve more than 10,000 pets each year. At our Community Veterinary Clinic (CVC), we provide high-quality, subsidized care to the pets of income-qualified families in our community. The CVC expands access to preventative care and spay/neuter, provides care for treatable conditions, and offers essential support to keep pets happy and healthy. And at ReTails Thrift Store, our team of staff and volunteers help hundreds of thousands of items find a second life, providing vital funding for our work with animals.

Thanks to our hardworking staff and volunteers, we served more than 10,000 pets in our community - helping them find new homes or providing the support they need to stay with the family who loves them.

Our mission is to rescue, return, restore, rehome, and reconnect one animal at a time. That work is possible thanks to the dedicated teams of staff and volunteers who are here for the animals every day. We are committed to a diverse, healthy, and engaged team of employees and volunteers who strive for excellence, treat one another with kindness, and provide quality and compassionate care for the pets and people we serve.

Veterinarian - Shelter Medicine

The Shelter Veterinarian is responsible for implementing and maintaining standards of animal care, quality diagnostics, treatment, and surgical services to animals served by the Humane Society for Southwest Washington in accordance with HSSW policies, procedures, and philosophy. The position requires strong attention to detail, ambition for team collaboration, strong critical thinking skills, excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to balance multiple priorities in a high-energy, fast paced environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide quality veterinary and surgical care for animals served by HSSW, including shelter animals housed on site and in foster homes, stray and protective custody animals, and pets of low-income clients
• Perform high-quality, high-volume, spay and neuter (HQHVSN) surgical techniques. Perform other soft tissue surgical procedures and dentistry as needed
• Practice incremental medicine within HSSW’s scope of care, utilizing problem-solving and critical-thinking skills 
• Work collaboratively with other Shelter Veterinarians and Leadership from other departments to develop and implement treatment plans and to make euthanasia and population-level decisions
• Provide HQHVSN, urgent care, and wellness to pets of low-income community members through HSSW Spay & Save and Community Solutions Program. 
• Practice medicine and maintain records in accordance with state practice act and organization standards
• Demonstrate knowledge and compliance of safety regulations and safe work practices. Follow all safety guidelines to ensure a safe work environment. Take immediate action to address any safety concern or noncompliance of safety rules that could put an employee, volunteer, client, animal, or the organization at risk
• Assist with directing, guiding, counseling, and training staff and volunteers in the performance of their respective responsibilities within the department in a culture of continuous improvement
• Participate in creation and maintenance of departmental SOPs and training
• Actively support staff and the integration of volunteers and promote the development of skills related to the advancement of our goals and mission 
• Represent HSSW in a professional and positive manner
• Closely monitor the shelter population to maintain the integrity of the HSSW’s shelter and adoption program
• Work closely with the Shelter Operations teams to jointly determine placement for special needs animals
• Support positive working relationships with other animal shelters, private veterinarians, and rescue groups. 
• Assist with the transfer or acceptance of animals requiring extended medical care to/from partner facilities

Employee Benefits and Perks
In addition to serving in an organization with a compassionate and strategic purpose, eligible employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package and a variety of employee perks.

Benefits include:

• Health insurance effective the first of the month following hire (full-time employees).
• Dental and vision insurance effective the first of the month following hire.
• Matching percentage 401(k) retirement plan beginning the first month after hire, with a 3-year graded vesting schedule and ROTH contribution option.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available to all employees and household members.
• Section 125 FSA Cafeteria Plan for out-of-pocket health and/or dependent day care expenses.
• Access to affordable life, disability, and accidental supplemental insurance.
• Numerous employee discounts and discounts with partner organizations.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness qualified employer: To learn more about this Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, go to https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation.

Paid Time Off (PTO) 

 PTO is granted at 3-weeks per year.

Additional Paid time includes:

• Floating Holidays (full-time employees).
• Bereavement leave.
• Pet bereavement leave.

Culture

Vision: A community where everyone loves and cares for animals.

Mission: Rescue. Return. Restore. Rehome. Reconnect. One animal at a time

Values: Compassion. Collaboration. Excellence. Service. Integrity.

The ultimate team player:

• Displays interest, enthusiasm, and an affinity for working with people.
• Demonstrates an attitude in being of-service, using good judgment, maintaining a positive outlook, and ideally, a sense of humor.
• Works well in teams and demonstrates an attitude and commitment to collaboration with a sincere interest in helping others succeed.
• Is committed to achieving excellence individually and as a part of the team.
• Exhibits adaptability, curiosity, flexibility to change, open to new ideas, and encourages others to recognize changes in work tasks, situations, and environment as an opportunity for transformation.
• Is committed to personal and professional development through life-long learning.

How to Apply

Does HSSW sound like the right place for you? 

Does this job sound like a great fit & do you meet the qualifications for this position?

If so, then click the Apply button to begin your journey to join our team today. HSSW participates in E-Verify.

For more information visit https://HSSW.org/careers/. 

Application Deadline: Open until filled.

 Required Qualifications

• Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from an accredited University or equivalent
• DVM license in Washington State

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to work effectively in a demanding environment with diverse populations
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills and a high degree of emotional and social intelligence
• Exceptional verbal and written communications skills
• Ability to work a flexible schedule that may include some nights, weekends, and on-call status.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize Microsoft suite of products.
• The ability to work in an emotional field where a positive attitude, sense of humor and understanding how to recognize and address compassion fatigue are essential
• Able to perform physical work: bending, lifting, walking, and standing for up to 6 hours per day, moving up to 50 lbs. with assistance.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

This position requires you to be comfortable speaking with people and to groups of people. Work duties and tasks may require walking, standing, sitting, stooping, squatting, bending, typing, speaking, seeing, listening, utilizing arms, hands & fingers for grasping, lifting, operating computers, answering telephone, and in working with animals. Position will call for repetitive use of hands to perform tasks related to traditional veterinary & surgical work in addition to operate computers, telephone, and cell phone; use computer keyboard for extensive periods of time. Reasonable accommodations may enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

Work is performed in an animal shelter that operates seven days per week, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and/or near animals, with potential exposure to fractious animals, high noise levels, zoonotic diseases, animal bites and scratches, radiation, cleaning chemicals, allergens, and potential exposure of infectious diseases to personally owned animals. The Shelter Veterinarian must be able to perform physical work: bending, lifting, walking, and standing for up to 6+ hours a day, lifting fifty pounds with assistance.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Nor does this document create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship. HSSW participates in E-Verify.