Shelter Veterinarian

VCA Seaside Animal Hospital; Des Moines, Northern (IA, KY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Veterinary benefits

Paid time off (PTO)

Job summary

Animal Rescue League of Iowa seeks a Shelter Veterinarian to provide medical and surgical care for animals in our shelter system. You will work with a team of veterinary professionals, animal care staff, and foster teams to improve health and outcomes with compassion and collaboration.

The role covers routine wellness, disease management, spay/neuter procedures, and population health initiatives in a dynamic shelter environment. At-will employment with a mission-driven culture awaits.

Qualifications

• DVM from an accredited veterinary school required.
• Active Iowa veterinary license or ability to obtain before employment.
• Strong medical judgment and compassionate patient care.
• Ability to make timely medical decisions in a fast-moving shelter.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Experience with surgery, shelter medicine, and high-volume spay/neuter preferred.
• Interest in shelter medicine and animal welfare encouraged.
• Experienced veterinarians and newer shelter vets are welcome to apply.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality medical care for animals in ARL custody.
• Perform exams, diagnose conditions, develop treatment plans, prescribe meds.
• Perform spay/neuter and other surgeries based on experience and needs.
• Evaluate illnesses, injuries, infectious diseases, chronic conditions.
• Support preventative care and population health initiatives.
• Make medical recommendations on treatment, prognosis and care.
• Educate team members on daily medical monitoring.
• Participate in case discussions and shelter population solutions.

Skills

DVM or equivalent

Iowa license

Medical judgment

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Shelter medicine

Surgery experience

Population health

Education

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Job description

Shelter Veterinarian

Practice meaningful medicine where your work directly changes lives.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is seeking a compassionate and skilled Shelter Veterinarian to join our veterinary medical team. This role is ideal for a veterinarian who wants to use their skills in a mission-driven environment where each day brings variety, collaboration, and the opportunity to improve outcomes for animals in need.

As a Shelter Veterinarian, you will provide medical and surgical care for animals throughout the ARL’s shelter programs. From routine wellness and population health to illness, injury, surgery, and complex medical cases, your work will directly support the health, comfort, recovery, and placement of animals in the ARL’s care.

You will work alongside experienced veterinary professionals, animal care teams, foster staff, behavior teams, and other shelter professionals to make thoughtful medical decisions while balancing individual patient needs with the broader needs of a dynamic shelter population.

Schedule

• Schedules are typically four 10-hour days or five 8-hour days
• No production-based compensation expectations
• Schedule structure designed to support both continuity of care and work-life balance

About the Animal Rescue League of Iowa

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is Iowa’s largest nonprofit animal welfare organization, caring for thousands of animals each year while providing programs and services that support pets and the people who love them.

Our veterinary medical team plays a critical role in advancing that mission by providing preventative, diagnostic, surgical, and ongoing medical care for animals throughout the shelter system. Shelter medicine at the ARL offers the opportunity to work with a diverse patient population, collaborate across multiple animal welfare disciplines, and make medical decisions that have an immediate and visible impact on animal health and lifesaving outcomes.

What You’ll Do

• Provide high-quality medical care for animals in the custody and care of the ARL.
• Perform physical examinations, diagnose medical conditions, develop treatment plans, and prescribe medications.
• Perform spay/neuter and other surgical procedures based on experience, training, and organizational needs.
• Evaluate and treat illnesses, injuries, infectious diseases, chronic medical conditions, and other shelter-related medical concerns.
• Support preventative medicine, vaccination, parasite control, infectious disease prevention, and population health initiatives.
• Make thoughtful medical recommendations regarding treatment, quality of life, prognosis, and ongoing care.
• Provide medical guidance and education to team members involved in the daily care and monitoring of animals.
• Participate in case discussions and help develop practical solutions for complex medical and shelter population challenges.

What We’re Looking For

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, DVM or equivalent, from an accredited veterinary school required.
• Active Iowa veterinary license in good standing, or ability to obtain licensure prior to employment, required.
• Strong medical judgment and commitment to compassionate, high-quality patient care.
• Ability to make timely and thoughtful medical decisions in a fast-moving shelter environment.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work effectively with veterinarians, veterinary support staff, animal care teams, leadership, and other departments.
• Comfort working with animals of varying species, sizes, medical conditions, behaviors, and backgrounds.
• Experience with surgery, shelter medicine, high-quality high-volume spay/neuter, emergency medicine, general practice, or population health preferred.
• Interest in shelter medicine and animal welfare strongly encouraged.
• Experienced veterinarians and veterinarians newer to shelter medicine are encouraged to apply.

Benefits for Full-Time Employees

The ARL is proud to offer competitive, market-driven compensation and a mission-focused culture. In addition, a variety of benefits are available to full-time employees including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer-paid long-term disability and basic life insurance
• Supplemental insurances, including short-term disability, supplemental life insurance, accident, and critical illness insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with an employer contribution
• Veterinary benefits
• Work-life balance through our expansive holiday and paid time off policies
• Potential student loan reimbursement opportunitiesPublic Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility
• Market-competitive compensation without the stress of production-based compensation measures

Physical and Work Environment Requirements

This position works in an animal shelter and veterinary medical environment and may require standing for extended periods, performing examinations and surgical procedures, safely handling animals of varying sizes and temperaments, and moving throughout shelter and medical areas as needed.

The role may involve exposure to animals, animal dander, cleaning agents, anesthetic gases, moderate to high noise levels, zoonotic diseases, infectious conditions, bodily fluids, and other conditions common to veterinary and animal shelter environments while following established safety procedures.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Why Join the ARL?

As a Shelter Veterinarian with the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, your work directly influences the health, comfort, recovery, and future of animals in our care. You will have the opportunity to practice a broad range of medicine, collaborate with professionals across animal welfare disciplines, and see the impact of your work every day.

This is an opportunity to practice meaningful veterinary medicine without production pressure while using your expertise to solve challenging cases, improve population health, and help animals move toward their next chapter.

If you are looking for a veterinary role where your medical judgment matters, your work has visible purpose, and no two days look exactly the same, we would love to connect.

Employment in this position is at-will, meaning either the employee or the ARL may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, as permitted by law.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state law. Applicants and employees are encouraged to discuss potential accommodations as needed.