Veterinary Assistant, General Practice, Alta Vista Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre

Joffe Veterinary Medicine Professional Corporation; Canada; On-site; CAD 25,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RRSP Employer Match (5%)

Paid time off for CE, vacation, sick,

Annual CE Allowance

Uniform allowance

Job summary

Alta Vista Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre in Ottawa, ON is hiring a Veterinary Assistant for our General Practice team. This full-time role offers $18.00 to $25.00 per hour, depending on experience and skills.

Join a hospital that emphasizes compassionate client service, gentle patient handling, and a collaborative, efficient work environment with opportunities for continuing education and growth.

Qualifications

• VA certificate or equivalent technical assistance experience is an asset.
• Ability to stay calm, gentle, and adaptable in fast-paced medical situations.
• Must be flexible to work a variety of shifts including nights, weekends and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on support to the veterinary team, assisting with patient care, treatments and clinical procedures.
• Create a welcoming environment for clients and ensure pet parents feel supported and valued.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized hospital and assist across departments to maintain workflow.

Skills

Compassionate service

Customer service

Calm under pressure

Education

Veterinary Assistant Certificate

Job description

Veterinary Assistant, General Practice Location: Ottawa, ON Employment Type: Full-time Job type: Existing Compensation: $18.00 to $25.00 per hour, depending on experience and skills Alta Vista Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre welcome a Veterinary Technician Assistant to join our General Practice team in Ottawa, Ontario. This is full-time, exceptional opportunity for an organized, motivated, and empathetic individual to join us in a very important support role for the entire hospital.

What You Will Do

Provide hands-on support to our veterinary team, assisting with patient care, treatments, and clinical procedures. Create a welcoming haven for our clients, ensuring pet parents feel supported, heard, and valued. Nurture a gentle, low-stress environment to help keep our patients' comfort a top priority. Maintain a clean, safe, and organized hospital, ensuring our reception, holding, and common areas are always pristine. Collaborate across departments to keep our daily hospital workflow running smoothly and efficiently.

What You Bring

A warm, compassionate heart with exceptional client service skills and a nurturing approach to pet care. A Veterinary Assistant (VA) certificate or equivalent technical assistance clinical experience is an asset. The ability to stay calm, gentle, and adaptable under pressure and in fast-paced medical situations. A genuine eagerness to learn, grow your clinical skills, and support our veterinary team with daily treatments. Must have flexibility to work a variety of shifts, which may include nights, overnights, weekends and holidays.

What We Can Offer You

Competitive compensation that reflects your skills, experience, and the role. RRSP Employer Group Match Program (5%) to help you save for the future. Paid time off for continuing education, vacation, sick days, and personal wellness days. Annual CE Allowance.

Benefits

• Minimum 24 hours per week for eligibility, with flexible options.
• Paid annual certification memberships and uniform allowance.
• Mental health support tools and resources: Virtual health care (telemedicine), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and digital wellness tools supporting mindfulness, sleep, and physical fitness.
• Various career development pathways.
• Generous personal pet care discounts and lifestyle perks, including exclusive shopping discounts and access to a wellness app.

Our hospital

For more than six decades, our hospital has been a trusted cornerstone of the Ottawa veterinary community. Today, we bring general wellness care, 24/7 emergency medicine, and board-certified specialty services together under one roof in our state-of-the-art, purpose-built Alta Vista Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre. Supported by a close-knit family of 160 team members and 30 collaborative doctors, you’ll have access to advanced diagnostic tools, dedicated technical support, and seamless case consultations every day.

Our Story

VCA Canada is a network of veterinary hospitals, with our head office in Calgary, Alberta, committed to positively impacting pets, people, and local communities for nearly 45 years. We have compassion for the neighbourhoods we serve and every pet within them, not just those we see in our hospitals. Every VCA Canada hospital location takes pride in its legacy of excellence, earning the trust of pet owners by delivering the highest quality of medicine to keep pets happy and healthy. In 2017, VCA Canada became part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of brands, solidifying an even stronger commitment to ensuring the strength and stability of the veterinary profession and our commitment to pet parents nationwide. VCA Canada is also passionate about providing an industry-leading Associate experience to over 4,000 Canadians employed across the country. In 2026, for the third year in a row, we were named one of Alberta's Top Employers, which recognizes organizations whose head offices are located within the province and lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Additionally, we were selected as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People 2026, which recognizes employers across Canada that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work and programs for young people starting their careers. Most recently, we received 2026 Great Place to Work® Certification™ Canada.

#VAOA #VeterinaryAssistant #TechnicianAssistant #AltaVista

A leader in veterinary care, VCA Animal Hospitals is committed to taking care of the future of veterinary medicine. We are a family of hometown animal hospitals determined to positively impact pets, people and our communities. From primary care to emergency, urgent and specialty care, VCA delivers world-class medicine and hometown care to more than four million pets each year. We invest in cutting-edge tools, training and technology that enable Associates across our national network of hospitals to lead the industry today and into tomorrow. Among our talented 35,000 Associates are nearly 7,000 veterinarians – including 500 who are board-certified specialists – nearly 4,000 credentialed technicians and over 10,000 veterinary assistants – all dedicated to giving pets the very best in medical care. The future of veterinary medicine is in our hands. Join us.