Relief Veterinary Technician

Foothills-Animal-Shelter; Golden (CO); On-site; USD 34,000 - 48,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid sick time

Job summary

Foothills Animal Shelter in Colorado is seeking a Relief Veterinary Technician to support the veterinary team on an as-needed basis, covering vacations and planned time off. You will assist with surgical procedures, treatments, and follow-up care for shelter animals, and participate in public vaccine clinics.

The role requires a CVT and at least three years of surgical experience; HQHVSN experience is preferred.

Qualifications

• CVT certification and at least three years of surgical experience.
• Experience in an animal welfare environment preferred.
• HQHVSN (High Quality High Volume Spay/Neuter) experience preferred.
• Fear Free certification within 60 days of employment.

Responsibilities

• Assist in surgical procedures and pre/post-operative care.
• Perform anesthesia administration and monitoring in high-volume settings.
• Handle radiology imaging and safety procedures.
• Maintain accurate medical records and logs for controlled drugs.
• Support vaccination clinics and general health evaluations.

Skills

Teamwork

Communication

Attention to detail

Microsoft Office

Education

Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT)

Tools

Digital radiology equipment

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY: The Relief Veterinary Technician will work on an as-needed basis to fill-in for staff vacations or other planned time off. The Relief Veterinary Technician will assist the veterinary team with surgical procedures, treatments, and follow-up care for shelter animals and will also participate in public vaccine clinics.RESPONSIBILITIESSurgeryPerforms pre-surgical duties, conducts pre-surgical physical exams on patients, and alerts veterinarian to any concerns.Calculates, administers and records pre-anesthetic drugs. Completes controlled drug logs as appropriate.Administers anesthesia and oversees monitoring animals under anesthesia in a high volume spay/neuter environment.Oversees recovery of animals post-surgery with the aid of volunteers.Operates digital radiology equipment and follows radiology safety procedures.Performs dental cleanings, including dental radiographs.Responds to emergency situations, administering triage care.Prepares laboratory samples and evaluates in-house lab work.Performs euthanasia services.Maintains appropriate surgical records, documents, and data entry for shelter animals.Health CareCollects samples for testing and performs laboratory tests.Performs daily health evaluations; medicates, vaccinates, and treats animals as prescribed by veterinarian.Performs physical examinations and restraint on animals in a manner consistent with Foothills Animal Shelter’s commitment to fear-free sheltering and veterinary care.Performs accurate data entry to update animal records and controlled drug logs.Administers vaccines, including for public vaccine clinics.Organizational WellnessInteracts with volunteers in appreciative and respectful ways, providing assistance as needed.Promotes teamwork by demonstrating a cooperative, flexible, adaptable, and helpful attitude with all staff and volunteers.Maintains a positive, solutions-oriented approach to the work environment, looking for the opportunities within each challenge.Contributes to initiatives to improve processes and procedures.SafetyFollows all safety guidelines to ensure a safe work environmentTakes immediate action to address any safety concern or noncompliance with OSHA safety rules that could put an employee, volunteer, client, animal or the organization at risk.OTHER DUTIESThis job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.Education and ExperienceCertified Veterinary Technician (CVT) with three years of surgical experienceExperience in an animal welfare environment preferredExperience in HQHVSN (High Quality High Volume Spay/Neuter) preferredFear Free Shelter certified or become Fear Free certified within 60 days of employmentSkills and AbilitiesAbility to work in a fast-paced, team environmentAbility to work independently with minimal supervision and strong attention to detailMust have the ability to communicate and collaborate with a variety of people and personality typesStrong interpersonal communication skillsProficiency in Microsoft Office programsWORKING CONDITIONSHandling and restraining animals of various sizes, weights, and temperaments.Subject to animal bites or scratches.Exposure to cleaning chemicals, fumes, gases, X-ray radiation, dust, animal dander, parasites, animal urine and feces, transmittable diseases.Working with medications/drugs both controlled and non-controlled.Physical efforts require constant bending, stooping, standing, kneeling, climbing stairs, and walking.Ability to lift and carry 50lbs.Work performed in high noise level areas.Must be able to manage the emotional aspect of end-of-life services and humane euthanasia, and support employees in high-emotion circumstances.About Foothills Animal Shelter: As an open admission shelter, our doors are always open to pets in Jefferson County, and we are committed to serving our community as a socially conscious shelter. We care for more than 9,000 dogs, cats, and small animals every year with a compassionate team of staff and volunteers. We are a community resource and offer a variety of services including pet adoption, Jefferson County pet licensing, vaccinations, microchipping, and lost and found pets. The Shelter is established under an intergovernmental agreement between Jefferson County, the City of Arvada, the City of Lakewood, the City of Wheat Ridge, the City of Golden, the City of Westminster and the City of Edgewater..Benefits: Relief employees earn paid sick time in proportion to hours worked.