Veterinary Assistant - Animal Shelter

Wage $18.14/hour, additional $1/hour for DORA-issued RVT

Part-time, 3 days/week - Monday, Tuesday, and Friday

Required: One year of experience caring for animals

Preferred: Two years of veterinary medical care and animal handling in a fast-paced environment 

Benefits: SIMPLE IRA, First Stop Health

General

The Veterinary Assistant provides safe, efficient and humane standards of care for dogs and cats receiving treatment in Animal Friends Alliance clinic(s). This position requires learning a wide range of policies and procedures and use of independent judgment and training to take appropriate actions with standard situations.  

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Receives animals and assists with initial examination including TPR.
• Clearly identifies animals and animal belongings when staying at the clinic for procedures.
• Administers indicated vaccines or treatments, conducts frequent health evaluations and administers emergency first-aid when necessary.
• Induces, monitors, and recovers animals receiving procedures under anesthesia.
• Leads surgeries as assigned which includes but is not limited to setting the pace for the veterinarian and providing direction to Technician Assistants.
• Initiates emergency procedures as needed, including CPR, on animals.
• Cleans kennels and performs related housekeeping duties.
• Cleans, disinfects and stores equipment used in and around the clinic.
• Maintains proper inventory levels of cleaning and other supplies. Informs supervisor when reordering is necessary.
• Accurately dispenses and records all controlled drugs used per local, state and federal regulations.
• Ensures that morning/closing checklists are done accurately and completed as assigned.
• Oversees and trains volunteers and interns working directly with the veterinary technicians.
• Upon direction from the supervising veterinarian, communicate any health concerns about a patient to the owner.

Other Duties:

• Assists other shelter staff with intakes.

Organization Wide Duties:

• Treats animals humanely, with compassion and concern, both on and off the job, and conveys these values to others, in word and action.
• Represents Animal Friends Alliance in a professional and courteous manner at all times.
• Provides quality service to customers, volunteers, and staff, recognizing their individual contributions to Animal Friends Alliance. Monitors, supports, motivates and champions volunteers and their work.
• Solicits monetary and in-kind donations by raising awareness of the organization's work, goals, and financial needs.
• Follows all safety rules to ensure a safe work environment at all times. Takes immediate action to address any safety concerns or noncompliance issues that could put an animal, employee, volunteer, visitor, or the organization at risk.
• Learns basic duties of other departments, and supports other departments and staff.
• Monitors, supports, motivates and accredits volunteers and their work.
• Understands and operates by Animal Friends Alliance’s core values.
• Regular and timely presence onsite.

Work Environment:

• Work performed in an animal clinic setting
• Potential for exposure to zoonotic diseases and cleaning chemicals
• Potential for exposure to dangerous and fractious animals.
• Potential exposure to high noise levels when in kennel area.
• Potential for animal bites and scratches while handling animals.

Unusual Demands:

• Work is subject to frequent interruptions.
• Employee is subject to work weekends, holidays and beyond the normal scheduled hours of work.

Education/Experience:

Education

• Required: Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, or equivalent experience.
• Preferred: Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology.

Experience:

• Required: One year experience working in a veterinary clinic/shelter setting as a veterinary technician.
• Preferred: Two years experience working in a veterinary clinic/shelter setting as a veterinary technician.

Miscellaneous

• Valid Driver’s License: Not required
• Sincere interest in Animal Friends Alliance’s mission & vision

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of Google Suite, including Gmail and Google Drive.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel

Skills:

• Effective verbal and interpersonal skills for in-person, written and telephone communication, for interaction with the public and colleagues. 
• Excellent organizational skills. 
• High level of professionalism.
• Emotional intelligence, work ethics and integrity.
• Strong computer skills.
• Detail-oriented.

Abilities:

• Able to safely handle animals.
• Able to distinguish symptoms of common illnesses in shelter animals.
• Able to safely medicate animals.
• Able to give SQ, IM & IV injections to animals.
• Able to perform TPR on animals.
• Able to perform venipuncture on animals.
• Able to induce animals for anesthesia.
• Able to monitor anesthesia.
• Able to recover animals post-surgery.
• Able to lead other technicians through a day of multiple surgeries.
• Able to perform humane euthanasia under a veterinarian’s guidance.
• Able to prioritize duties and perform multiple tasks.
• Able to work in a high-stress, fast-paced environment.
• Able to learn, retain and communicate a wide variety of information.

Physical, Sensory and Mental Requirements

Physical

Frequent

• Sit, Stand, Walk, Bend, Squat, Kneel, Crawl, Reach above head, Push/Pull objects & reaching above head.
• Lift & carry up to 50 pounds unassisted, over 50 pounds with assistance
• Exposure to hazards: Biologic, Chemical, Noise, Sharp instruments
• Exposure to marked changes in temperature 

Occasional

• Write legibly
• Use of microwave
• Climb
• Climb
• Operate standard pedals in a company vehicle. 

Sensory Requirements: 

Required

• Can hear normal tones
• Can hear soft tones
• Eyesight - Normal/corrected to 20/40
• Eyesight - Close eye work
• Eyesight - Color recognition

Important

• Can distinguish smells
• Can distinguish temperatures by touch/proximity

Not applicable

• Can distinguish tastes

Mental Requirements: (Required, Important or N/A)

Required

• Ability to read, speak and write English
• Ability to control emotions
• Ability to cultivate and project a positive attitude in the work setting, and when representing Animal Friends Alliance in public.
• Ability to work with controlled substances
• Ability to handle stress

Note: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job.