Associate Veterinarian - Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital, Richmond SPCA (Full-Time)

Richmond SPCA; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

License renewal reimbursement

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Life insurance

Short-term disability

Paid wellness leave

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Holidays and personal leave

401(k) retirement plan

Employee discounts at hospital

Job summary

Richmond SPCA's Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital seeks an Associate Veterinarian to join a mission-driven team delivering access-to-care and no-kill philosophy. You will provide wellness, sick, and urgent care alongside skilled doctors and technicians.

Candidates hold a DVM, Virginia license, and DEA, with shelter or public hospital experience preferred. We offer no weekends or nights, generous benefits, and a supportive work culture focused on pets staying home.

Qualifications

• Must hold a DVM or equivalent from an AVMA-accredited college.
• Licensed in Virginia with DEA license in good standing.
• Commitment to no‑kill philosophy and shelter diversion.
• Adaptable, collaborative, and compassionate communication with clients and shelter teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide wellness, sick, and urgent care with a collaborative team.
• Perform physical exams, develop treatment plans, sterilizations and routine surgeries.
• Practice access‑to‑care medicine for economically disadvantaged pet guardians.
• Interpret diagnostics (including radiography) and maintain medical records.
• Collaborate across HQHVSN clinic or shelter medicine teams as needed.

Skills

Adaptive

Collaborative

Compassionate care

Multi-tasking

Education

DVM or equivalent (AVMA-accredited)

Job description

Location: Richmond, VA

Hospital: Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital (Richmond SPCA)

Compensation & Schedule

• Salary: $100,000 – $140,000/year (commensurate with experience)
• Schedule: Four 10-hour weekday shifts or five 8-hour weekday shifts. No weekends, no nights, no on‑call hours.

Why This Isn’t Your Typical Veterinary Role

If you are tired of corporate medicine, production pressure, and the heartbreak of euthanasia for economic reasons, we offer a radical alternative.

The Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital is one of only a handful of facilities in the country pioneering a true access‑to‑care model. We meet people where they are, delivering quality, accessible veterinary medicine to pets who often have nowhere else to go. Our goal is simple: keep pets healthy, in their homes, and out of shelters.

• Practice Mission‑Focused Medicine: Your success is measured by the lives you impact, not the inventory you move. There are no sales targets or production‑based quotas.
• No Financial Euthanasia: We practice medicine aligned with our no‑kill philosophy. We don’t let economic hardship stand in the way of lifesaving care.
• Boundaries: When your shift ends, you go home. Enjoy your evenings and weekends.

What You Will Do

As an Associate Veterinarian, you will work alongside a collaborative team of skilled doctors, licensed veterinary technicians, and dedicated support staff to provide wellness, sick, and urgent care.

• Clinical & Surgical Care: Provide physical exams, develop treatment plans for illness, and perform sterilizations and other routine surgeries, dentals, and soft tissue procedures.
• Spectrum of Care: Apply critical thinking to practice access‑to‑care medicine, offering pragmatic, compassionate treatment plans tailored to the realities of economically‑disadvantaged pet guardians.
• Diagnostics & Records: Interpret routine diagnostics (including radiography) and maintain thorough, accurate medical records.
• Cross‑Departmental Collaboration: Act as a flexible and collaborative resource across our entire veterinary services ecosystem, providing backup and operational support as needed to our HQHVSN clinic or shelter medicine team as dynamic organizational needs arise.

Who You Are

• Qualified: You hold a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree from an AVMA‑accredited college.
• Licensed: You have (or can successfully obtain) a valid Virginia Veterinary License and DEA license in good standing.
• Mission‑Driven: You possess a deep commitment to the no‑kill philosophy, shelter diversion, and serving vulnerable populations with dignity and empathy.
• Adaptable & Collaborative: You thrive in a fast‑paced environment, multi‑task with a positive "can‑do" outlook, and communicate compassionately with both a diverse public clientele and internal shelter teams.

Experience in a shelter, spay/neuter clinic, or public veterinary hospital is a major plus, but a passion for access to care is required.

Benefits & Perks

We care for our people just as deeply as we care for our patients.

• Professional Coverage: Full reimbursement for Virginia Veterinary license renewal, DEA license, AVMA membership, and professional liability insurance.
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, short‑term disability, and paid wellness leave.
• Student Loan Forgiveness: Access to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
• Holidays & Personal Leave: 11 paid holidays and generous paid personal leave.
• Retirement: 401(k) retirement plan with an employer contribution (once eligible) of no less than 3%.
• Pet Care Perks: Access to employee discounts at our Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Environment: A rapid‑pace, high‑energy environment with exposure to high noise levels, animal waste, disinfectants, radiation, and anesthetic gases.
• Physical Requirements: Ability to stay on your feet for a 10‑hour shift (accommodations can be coordinated with physician recommendations) and routinely lift, carry, or move up to 50 pounds. Reliable transport is required, including during inclement weather.

What Richmond Has To Offer

Richmond is a vibrant city with an active, accessible, and welcoming community culture. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the James River Park System, which offers urban whitewater rafting, miles of riverside trails, and sunbathing on Belle Isle right in the heart of downtown. Our nationally‑recognized, James Beard‑nominated dining and craft beer scenes mean you’ll always have a great new culinary spot to discover. For entertainment, you can catch a baseball game at the new CarMax Park—located just a few hundred yards from our Hermitage Road campus—or enjoy outdoor concerts at the stunning new riverfront amphitheater. Plus, Richmond’s central location puts you an easy drive away from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Atlantic coast beaches, and Washington, D.C.