Registered Veterinary Technician

City of Ontario; Ontario (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire seeks a Registered Veterinary Technician to support veterinarians in surgical care and clinical services at the shelter and spay/neuter clinic. You will process animals, maintain records, and assist with examinations and treatments under general supervision.

The position requires a CA RVT license or equivalent, and may involve varied shifts to meet shelter needs. A strong customer-service focus and teamwork are essential.

Qualifications

• Graduate of AVMA/CA RVT program or CA VMB approved RVT program.
• Alternate route: 20 semester units (or 30 quarter units) and 4,416 hours of clinical practice.
• Licensed or registered RVT in CA or an equivalent state with supervised experience.

Responsibilities

• Assist a veterinarian in healthcare and surgery for shelter animals.
• Receive, process and care for impounded animals; maintain records.
• Provide front counter customer service and respond to inquiries at the shelter.
• Perform animal health procedures consistent with RVT status; monitor animals during and after surgery.
• Maintain kennels, equipment, and records; support euthanasia when required.

Skills

Customer service

Growth mindset

Teamwork

Organization

Communication

Conflict resolution

Collaboration

Education

AVMA/CA RVT program

Alternate route: 20 sem units + 4,416 hours

CA RVT license or equivalent

Job description

Registered Veterinary Technician

Annual Salary Range: $65,000 - $80,000

Placement within this range is dependent on qualifications, experience, and ultimately established by the ARC Board of Directors. The ARC Executive Director of Animal Services will serve as the ultimate hiring authority. The ARC is not employed by the City of Ontario nor any other agency members. The successful candidate will be an at-will employee of the Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire and ultimately they will be appointed by and serve under the ARC Executive Director of Animal Services.

Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis until a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. This recruitment may close at any time without notice. The first review of applications is scheduled for April 9, 2026.

Are you passionate about serving the community and supporting a team that is committed to making a positive impact? The Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire is seeking skilled, compassionate, and experienced individuals to join the organization to be a part of a collaborative environment where your skills can make a difference. If you are interested in the honorable profession of public service, join in this unique opportunity as a Registered Veterinary Technician.The Registered Veterinary Technician will receive general supervision by the Animal Care Supervisor, while performing the more complex pre-surgery and post-surgery care of animals as allowable under their certification and may function as a lead over staff performing veterinary care duties.

Under general supervision, assist a veterinarian in healthcare and surgery for animals brought into the shelter and the spay/neuter clinic; receives, processes, and cares for impounded animals; cleans and disinfects kennels and work areas; maintains records on the impounding and releasing of animals; provides customer service and responds to citizen inquiries and concerns at the Shelter’s public counter; performs animal health procedures consistent with status as a licensed Registered Veterinary Technician; resolves citizen complaints by exercising fair and independent judgment; and performs other work as required.

Ideal Candidate

• Premiere customer service skills that embody the Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire's Customer Service Philosophy.
• A growth mindset with a strong passion for developing others, and an exceptional ability to model and foster teamwork.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills,
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Skilled in conflict resolution and handling sensitive situations
• The ability to work collaboratively with the public and ARC team members.

The following procedures will apply

• The Eligibility List will consist of both internal and external applicants who meet the qualifications and successfully complete any required selection processes.
• The hiring department has the discretion to consider internal applicants on the Eligibility List prior to considering external candidates on the Eligibility List.
• The Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire serves the right, if necessary, to accept only the first one hundred (100) applications from applicants that meet the qualification guidelines below.
• Completed applications will be reviewed and only qualified applicants whose qualifications best meet or exceed the requirements of the position and needs of ARC will be invited to participate further in the selection process.

Animal Resource of the Inland Empire Agency

On July 16, 2024, the Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire (ARC) was established through a Joint Power Authority (JPA) Agreement with the member agencies being the cities of Chino, Montclair, Ontario and the County of San Bernardino for the west end unincorporated areas. ARC will be a full-service animal services agency providing both animal control and sheltering services to the member agencies, and will become operational on July 1, 2025. ARC is lead through a Board of Directors which is comprised of an elected official from each of the member agencies. In December 2024, the Board of Director appointed Clinton Thacker to be the inaugural Executive Director of the Agency where he brings over 20 years of public animal services experience including animal control, sheltering, and even has built and opened a new animal services facility. The Animal Resource Center of the Inland Empire has 35 full-time equivalent positions through three divisions of field, sheltering, and administrative. The service area for our agency is 95 square miles.

For more information, click here to learn more about ARC.

1. Responds to public inquiries regarding animals and the shelter; provides information within the area of assignment; processes the release and adoption of animals; provides front counter customer service to patrons; shows animals upon request; answers phones.
2. Provides medical care and treatment to animals by assisting in conducting physical examinations, administering medications and immunizations.
3. Assists veterinarians in surgery by correct equipment, instruments, and packs, and assuring that monitoring and support equipment such as cardiac monitors, scopes, and breathing apparatus are operable.
4. Maintains inventory of all pharmaceutical, equipment, and supplies.
5. Monitor animals during surgery as needed; observe animals after surgery to detect any abnormal behavior or physical symptoms and report findings to the Veterinarian.
6. Determines correct procedures and substances to inject for the disposal of animals and injects animals for the purpose of euthanasia.
7. Receives detailed, accurate information and dispatches to field operations personnel including prioritization of emergency and non-emergency calls.
8. Maintains a variety of records including animal health records and records on the neutering, surgery, vaccinations, and other medical procedures; inputs such information into the animal shelter’s computer record keeping system. Establishes procedures for the proper housing and feeding of animals.
9. Cleans and disinfects kennels, cages, and equipment in a sanitary manner according to protocol; performs on-going and preventive maintenance of shelter facilities and equipment.
10. Assists in the maintenance of animal health care programs within County animal control facilities.
11. Assists Agency personnel in investigation and retrieval of animals in the field by anesthetizing or euthanizing animals when necessary.
12. Works with volunteer staff; provides supervision, information and instructions.
13. Performs other duties as assigned.

Educational Requirements

Graduate of an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Accredited RVT program or a California VMB Approved RVT program.

Or

Completion of a combination of 20 semester units (or 30 quarter units) or 300 hours of specific education and 4,416 hours of directed clinical practice experience completed in no less than 24 months under the direct supervision of a California licensed veterinarian (Alternate Route).

Or

Licensed, certified, or registered as an RVT in another state and has taken an examination determined by the VMB to be equivalent to the California examination and have 4,416 hours of directed clinical practice experience completed in no less than 24 months under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

Candidates will be required to provide proof of successful completion of required programs, semester/quarter units, and/or required hours and experience. Proof of completion must be provided by way of attachment to your online application or as an email attachment sent to the Hiring Agency Representative at, or before, time of the reference check process. Acceptable forms of proof include Unofficial Transcripts, Official Transcripts, Photos and/or Photocopies of Institutional Degree/Certifications.

Licenses

Individuals must be physically capable of operating a motor vehicle safely and possess a valid Class C California Driver’s License OR be able to demonstrate the ability to travel on scheduled or unscheduled visits to various locations which may or may not be reachable by public transportation. This requirement applies at time of appointment and throughout employment in this classification.

Certificates

Must possess a valid Registered Veterinary Technician Certificate issued by the California State Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine.

Desirable

• Possession of Euthanasia Certificate.
• One year of paid or voluntary experience working in a kennel, veterinary or animal shelter facility.

Special Requirements

Ability to work various schedules including day, evening, night, weekend, and holiday shifts as needed.