Hospital Veterinary Assistant

Petco; Lee's Summit (MO); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Petco is seeking a Hospital Leader On Duty to provide excellent veterinary care for our full‑service hospital patients and outstanding customer care for their owners. This role sets the tone with the medical team and credentialed staff, fostering cohesion and motivation within the hospital.

You will oversee operations, supervise paraprofessional staff, assist with surgeries and treatments, and ensure compliance with Petco policies. Leadership, compassion, and strong communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Must have leadership capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Compassionate and sympathetic, able to remain professional under stress.
• Must have telephone and computer skills.
• Team player willing to learn and adapt to new techniques.
• Experience in veterinary settings or related healthcare is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Greet clients and patients, escort to exam room, record vitals and histories.
• Assist doctors with exams, surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia under supervision.
• Restrain patients and process labs, dispense medications as directed.
• Maintain EMR records and update client/patient information.
• Support anesthesia during procedures and monitor patients post‑op.
• Train new staff and help disseminate knowledge within the hospital.
• Oversee hospital operations and supervise paraprofessional staff.
• Schedule appointments and manage phone lines during peak times.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Compassionate

Customer service

Telephone skills

Team player

Job description

Want to help pets live their best lives?

We're proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you

Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what's right for pets and people.

Pet First - Protect & Empower. All pets should Live their Best Life. We put the needs of pets and pet parents at the center of everything we do.

Foster the Fun - Connect & Bond. Our Passion for pets brings us together! We celebrate the journey of pet parenthood through district experiences, products, and services.

Let's Go! Own & Commit. We are stronger as One Petco team. We bring our unique superpowers and champion authenticity in everyone to drive success.

Position Purpose:

The Hospital Leader On Duty provides excellent veterinary care to ourfull-service hospital patients and phenomenal customer care to their owners. TheHospital Leader On Duty represents the mission and valuesof Petcoto all pets and pet parents.OurHospital Leader On Dutysets the tone with the technical and customer supportpartnersin the hospital, and is responsible, like allpartners, for fostering cohesion and motivation within the team.

Essential Job Functions:

The Hospital Leader on Duty must be able to perform all of the following duties and responsibilities w ith or without reasonable accommodation.

• Greet clients and patients arriving for appointments and escort them into an exam room, obtain weight and vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations, pain score,body condition score) and record in the electronic medical record. HLODs will collect thorough patient histories and document the patient visit in the EMRs. Assist doctors with appointments (routine and emergency), surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia, under supervision from the veterinarian and the credentialed Veterinary Technicians.
• Perform patient restraint, obtain and process laboratory samples, handle and dispense medications at the direction of the veterinarian and help maintain the electronic medical record.
• Monitor and answer telephone lines, route calls appropriately, schedule appointments, provide client education, relay test results to doctor and clients, maintain and update client/patient records.
• Help prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures and assist doctor and/or veterinary technician in anesthetizing patients. Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician HLOD will maintain patients safely under anesthesia while monitoring vital parameters, help monitor patients during recovery and prepare them for hospital discharge or transfer to an overnight care facility.
• Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients including giving injectable and oral medications as well as intravenous fluid therapy; keep patients clean, watered, and fed (when indicated and directed by doctor), safely walk canine patients when necessary for elimination.
• Training of new staff members and general dissemination of knowledge as required.
• Keep hospital environment neat and clean; perform regular cleaning of environment based on necessity as well as based on a pre-determined maintenance schedule.
• Empowered to one task in hospital-Inventory ordering, Scheduling, etc.
• Monitor and assuming the task answering the practice phone and routing calls appropriately
• Schedule appointments, when necessary, from callers or visitors to the practice.
• Monitor wait times and make accommodation as necessary during peak/busy times, or when medical staff is dealing with an emergency situation.
• Uphold and enforce all policies of Petco and Vetco Total Care.
• Oversee operations of Hospital and supervise the paraprofessional staff
• Participate in the training of new staff members and general dissemination of knowledge as required.

Nature of Supervision:

In all activities related to the care and handling of individual patients and clients, the incumbent will take direct supervision from the Area Operations Manager.

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position has immediate daily supervisory duties over our paraprofessional partners.

Education/Experience:

• Preferred to have at least1-yearprevious experience working in a veterinary practice or sufficient experience to ensure excellent performance at the above-listed skills
• Must have leadership capabilities
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Must be compassionate and sympathetic, and be able to maintain a professional attitude and demeanor during emotional and stressful situations
• Must have telephone and computer skills
• Must be a team player willing to learn new techniques and treatments, offer creative ideas, and accept change

Work Environment:

The majorityofjob duties are conducted in the Veterinary Hospital. Position requires bending, kneeling, lifting (up to 30 pounds, as necessary) and standing for long periods of time. A large amount of this partner's time will be spent in direct contact with clients and their pets.

Contacts:

This position will regularly communicate with clients, service teams and management in both our Vetco Total Care Hospitals and Pet Care Centers.

For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO - see https://careers.petco.com/us/en/key-benefits

About Petco:

We're proud to be "where the pets go" to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years - from their favorite meals and toys, to trusted supplies and expert support from people who get it, because we live it. We believe in the universal truths of pet parenthood - the boundless boops, missing slippers, late night zoomies and everything in between. And we're here for it. Every tail wag, every vet visit, every step of the way. We are 29,000+ strong and together we nurture the pet-human bond in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love. Together, we support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.

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