2293 Senior Shelter Veterinarian

San Francisco Animal Care and Control; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 174,000 - 227,000; Full time

Job summary

San Francisco Animal Care and Control is seeking a Senior Shelter Veterinarian for a permanent exempt, full-time role in San Francisco. The position oversees medical care for impounded animals, sets veterinary standards, and collaborates with the City Administrator’s Office to ensure humane, high-quality shelter services.

Applicants must hold a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) license in California, have at least 3 years of shelter/clinic experience, and be prepared to manage medical

Qualifications

• Possession of a doctor's degree in veterinary medicine; AND
• Three (3) years of verifiable veterinary experience in an animal shelter, kennel, or veterinary hospital facility; including soft tissue surgery such as spay/neuter.

Responsibilities

• Directs, coordinates and performs screening, diagnosis, and basic and emergency medical treatment of impounded animals; develops comprehensive health care programs and medical standards for the shelter.
• Trains staff in cleaning, disinfection, and humane care; ensures dietary requirements and humane treatment are met.
• Develops disease prevention programs; oversees daily monitoring of animals for illness or unusual behavior; acts as a consultant to Shelter Veterinarians on difficult cases.
• Provides training for staff in first aid, vaccinations, tranquilization, and euthanasia; performs euthanasia as required.
• Advises staff and public on veterinary matters; may testify in court for animal cruelty investigations.
• Assists with emergency/disaster response; manages drug, equipment, and supply inventory and budget estimates.

Education

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

Job description

department: City Administrator

Job class: 2293-Senior Shelter Veterinarian

Salary range: $173,654.00 - $226,980.00

Role type: Permanent Exempt What does this mean?

Hours: Full-time

About

Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt, Category 13: This is an Exempt position excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process, pursuant to the City and County of San Francisco, Charter Section 10.104. It is considered 'at will' and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.

Application Opening: September 30, 2026

Application Closing: Apply Immediate. Application filing will be open at least through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 and can close any time thereafter.

Work Location: 1419 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94103

About the Office of the City Administrator

The Office of the City Administrator includes 20+ agencies and over 1,000 dedicated staff who provide essential services to San Francisco residents and businesses and improve the administration of government.

Our Mission

The City Administrator’s Office is strongly committed to ensuring efficient and effective government services, increasing the City’s safety and resiliency, strengthening the local economy, supporting equity and inclusion, and optimizing the City’s capital planning and infrastructure.

Our Vision

We are committed to ensuring that the City's services are inclusive, efficient, equitable, and culturally competent for San Franciscans of all races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and sexual orientations. This commitment requires comprehensive review and thorough analysis of existing practices and policies to remove barriers to real inclusion.

We are also committed to ensuring that the Department is a safe, equitable, and inclusive workplace for individuals of all races. This includes creating opportunities for hiring, promotion, retention, training, and development, for all employees, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).

To learn more about our departments, divisions, and programs, visit: https://sf.gov/departments/city-administrator

About Animal Care and Control

The San Francisco Department of Animal Care & Control (SFACC) is a taxpayer-funded, open-admission animal shelter. Since 1989, SFACC has provided housing, care, and medical treatment to wild, exotic and domestic stray, lost, abandoned, sick, injured, and surrendered animals. SFACC’s doors are open to all animals in need regardless of species, medical, or behavioral condition.

SFACC also enforces all state and local Animal Control and Welfare laws and is the lead agency for animals in natural disasters and citizen emergencies.

SFACC shelters homeless, neglected, and abused animals and provides humane education and many other services to the community.

SFACC is the local agency that investigates animal cruelty, enforces animal welfare laws, rescues injured and orphaned wildlife and birds, and aids domestic animals in distress.

SFACC aims to adopt, re-home, or reunite domestic animals with their guardians and to release wildlife to their native habitat.

Role description

Examples of Important andEssential Duties:

• Directs, coordinates and performs the screening, diagnosis, and basic and emergency medical treatment of all impounded animals; develops a comprehensive program of health care services for the animal shelter, and establishes medical standards and procedures for the maintenance of healthy, safe and sanitary facilities.
• Provides and participates in training for subordinate staff and other staff regarding ongoing cleaning and disinfecting of all equipment and areas of the animal shelter where animals are housed; assures that special medical dietary requirements are met and that proper, humane care is provided for all shelter animals.
• Provides ongoing training for staff throughout the department to rapidly identify animals requiring isolation or veterinary care.
• Develops a comprehensive disease prevention program for the animal shelter; supervises the visual monitoring on a daily basis of impounded animals, including those that may be isolated or quarantined, for signs of illness or unusual behavior; assures that problems are promptly reported; determines and directs appropriate action as required; serves as a consultant to Shelter Veterinarians on difficult and complex cases.
• Provides the training of appropriate staff in administering first aid and vaccinations to animals, tranquilization, the performance of euthanasia by injection and other paramedical duties; performs euthanasia as required.
• Advises staff and the public on matters within the veterinary medical field; participates in the inspection of animals used in fairs, parades and other events.
• Provides professional assistance in the investigations of mistreatment or neglect of animals and occasionally testifies in court as the medical expert in the investigation of animal cruelty and neglect cases.
• Assists with emergency and disaster response services.
• Directs the ordering, maintenance and control of drugs, medical equipment, food and supplies used in the veterinary division; estimates veterinary requirements for the budget, and monitors expenditures.

How to qualify

Education

Possession of a doctor's degree in veterinary medicine from a college or university recognized by the California Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine; AND

Experience

Three (3) years of verifiable veterinary experience working in an animal shelter, kennel, or Veterinary Hospital Facility. This includes experience in soft tissue surgery with dogs and cats; examples include laceration repair, mass removal, enucleation, and particularly spay/neuter surgery; AND

License and Certification

1. Requires a valid license issued by the California Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine to practice as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; AND

2. Possession of a DEA license within six (6) months of appointment. Must maintain a valid DEA license while employed.

Note(s)

One-year full-time employment is considered equivalent to 2000 hours (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40 hour work week). Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

Applicants must meet minimum qualification requirements by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Verification: Please make sure it is clear in your application exactly how you meet the minimum qualifications. Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point in the application and/or departmental selection process.

Note: Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores. Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

What else should I know?

Selection Procedure The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements and assessment of candidates’ job-related knowledge, skills and abilities. Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to evaluate candidate qualifications. This typically includes an oral interview and/or a written or performance exercise. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the Department needs will be invited to continue in the selection process. Applicants meeting the minimum requirements are not guaranteed advancement in the selection process.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco

Information About the Hiring Process

Conviction History

Employee Benefits Overview

Equal Employment Opportunity

Disaster Service Worker

ADA Accommodation

Right to Work

Copies of Application Documents

Diversity Statement

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.