Animal Health Technician

Williamson County; Georgetown (TX); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Williamson County is seeking a licensed veterinary technician to provide paraprofessional health care for shelter animals at the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter. You will vaccinate, de-worm, weigh, photograph, run diagnostics, and support the Animal Care and Behavior teams.

Responsibilities include assisting veterinarians, performing radiographs, preparing for surgery, dispensing medications, and post-op care. Strong customer service and shelter experience are preferred.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Licensed Veterinary Technician or Certified Vet Assistant.
• 1 year of shelter/animal hospital experience preferred.
• Strong customer service and professional communication skills.
• Knowledge of animal health, diseases, nutrition, handling and restraints.
• Experience drawing blood, injections, administering medications, and basic veterinary testing.

Responsibilities

• Provide paraprofessional health care to shelter animals; vaccinate, de-worm, weigh, photograph, and perform diagnostic tests.
• Administer medications and monitor healthy/varying conditions; assist with rabies quarantine and euthanasia as needed.
• Assist veterinarians during examinations, surgeries, and post-op care; prepare animals for procedures and handle anesthesia monitoring.
• Operate shelter software to maintain medical histories and inventory; log medications and controlled substances.
• Counsel fosters/adopters on medical treatments and care requirements.
• Perform clerical duties related to intake, adoption, and processing; maintain security and safety protocols.

Skills

Customer service

Professional communication

Animal health knowledge

Signs and symptoms identification

Basic veterinary testing

Medical medication administration

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Certified Vet Assistant

Associates degree in a related field

Tools

PetPoint

Microsoft Office Suite

iPad/tablet applications (IM, email, FaceTime)

Job description

Reporting directly to Animal Health Supervisor, responsible for providing paraprofessional health care to animals within the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, by administering medical care to the animals and supporting the Animal Care and Animal Behavior teams. Provides health care to all shelter animals including vaccinating, de-worming, weighing, photographing, performing diagnostic tests (i.e., fecal testing, blood tests), venipuncture, placing catheters, and administering medications. Provides medication to sick and injured animals, monitors rabies quarantine animals, euthanizes animals as necessary. Collects blood, urine, fecal, and skin samples. Leads, trains, directs, and provides feedback on daily tasks of Volunteers and Community Service workers, and assists as needed. Administers health checks of all animals, verifying animal locations, administering needed medications, and documenting any concerns for follow-up. Assists veterinarian with examinations and medical procedures, including spay/neuter surgeries, microchipping, and performs medical treatments as directed. Performs radiographs at the shelter, with proficiency in correct positioning, based on protocols written by shelter veterinarian. Prepares animals for surgery, administers medication, monitors animal vitals through the surgery and recovery process, and sanitizes surgical instruments. Cleans and sanitizes the surgery room, recovery kennels, and tech rooms. Assists with emergency procedures such as CPR, IV catheter placement and drug administration, and placement on endotracheal tubes under supervision of shelter veterinarian. Monitors animal vitals through the surgery and recovery process, and provides post-op care, such as wound cleaning and bandaging. Counsels fosters/adopters on medical treatments or medical needs of shelter animals. Utilizes shelter software to maintain information about animals, including medical histories. Logs medications, including controlled substances, in required logs and records. Determines disposition on all animals, handles fractious animals, and assigns handling difficulty levels based on behavior and medical conditions. Assists in determining which animals may need outside veterinarian care. Provides medication to sick and injured animals, monitors rabies quarantine animals, euthanizes animals as necessary. Identifies animals that are candidates for outside rescue organizations or foster care. Follows all medical protocols and procedures as written by veterinarian. Transports animals to other facilities as needed. Follows all safety measures and policies, including proper animal restraints and reading animal behavioral cues, and promptly reports any safety incidents to leadership. Performs clerical and customer service duties related to the intake and processing of animals for impoundment, adoption, and redemption. Monitors and maintains the tech email, determining which medical protocol to follow when symptoms or incidents are reported, including determining how urgent the medical issue may be and the best course of action to take. Ensures building security upon opening and closing, and maintains accurate inventory of medical supplies, re-stocking as necessary. Serves as animal services supervisor for weekend coverage. Performs special duties as assigned. ORGANIZATION RELATIONSHIPS: Reports directly to – Animal Health Supervisor Direct Reports – No PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Position involves prolonged standing, walking, twisting, bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching, pushing, pulling, and other fine motor repetitive motions Position requires grasping, repetitive hand movement, and fine motor coordination Position involves lifting and carrying of animals and equipment weighing up to fifty (50) pounds, or up to one hundred (100) pounds with assistance, and exertion of up to twenty-five (25) pounds of force to move objects Position involves hearing and/or seeing alert cues regarding animal and staff security Position involves maintaining composure in a high-stress environment ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Work tasks are conducted indoors and frequently outdoors May work outside in inclement weather, including extreme heat, cold and wet conditions Frequent handling of animals, including contact with waste and blood Exposure to unpleasant smells and a noisy and wet environment associated with a shelter Frequent exposure animals that are agitated or injured that may attempt to bite or scratch Position involves working in a high-volume, fast-paced environment Position involves working with distressed individuals IRREGULAR HOURS: Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays is a schedule requirement Essential personnel for emergency situations; discretion of department director Regular attendance is required The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified in this position. This job description is subject to change as the needs and requirements of the job change. High school diploma or equivalent Licensed Veterinary Technician / Certified Vet Assistant OR one (1) year of experience as a vet technician/assistant in a shelter/animal hospital setting One (1) year of customer service and professional communication experience Knowledge of animal health and well-being, including nutritional needs, common animal diseases and behavioral issues, proper and safe handling, and restraints, caring for sick/injured/fractious animals, and pharmaceuticals commonly used in treatment of animal conditions Prior experience identify signs and symptoms of animal illnesses, injuries, and behavioral issues, drawing blood from animals, performing injections, administering medications, and performing basic veterinary testing procedures Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, computers, phone/iPad software and applications such as instant messaging (IM), email, FaceTime, PetPoint, etc. LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS: Required within thirty (30) days of employment Valid driver’s license Required within 120 days (4 months) of employment Euthanasia certification PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Associates degree in a related field Two (2) years of animal welfare experience Advanced knowledge of dog and cat body language cues Licensed Veterinary Technician Certified Vet Assistant EMPLOYMENT TESTING: Employment is contingent on passing any post-offer pre-employment screening as listed below: Criminal background check: Yes Motor Vehicle Record check: Yes Drug screening: Yes Physical exam: No Psychological exam: No Additional: N/A A Williamson County online application (resumes alone are not sufficient) must be received before the position is closed. Positions are open until filled, subject to close at any time after five (5) business days. The Human Resources Department is located at 100 Wilco Way, Georgetown, TX 78626. Phone [phone] or visit our website at www.wilcotx.gov/469/Human-Resources . Williamson County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). If you require an accommodation in order to apply for a position, please request assistance from the Human Resources Department. TOBACCO FREE WORKPLACE POLICY: Williamson County is a tobacco free workplace. The use of tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff, chew, etc.) and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) (e.g., vapor, e-cigarettes, etc.) is prohibited on all Williamson County premises. Employees who violate this policy are subject to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.