Shelter Veterinary Assistant

Asheville Humane Society; Asheville (NC); On-site; USD 27,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision insurance

SIMPLE IRA with employer match

Paid time off

Job summary

Asheville Humane Society in Buncombe County seeks a Veterinary Assistant to ensure medical care for animals, conduct intake exams, and support shelter medicine operations. You will work with a core veterinary team to perform exams, run in-house diagnostics, prepare medications, and assist with emergency triage under veterinarians.

The role involves handling animals of various sizes in a fast-paced shelter, with training provided for shelter-specific SOPs.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Previous experience in a veterinary setting preferred.
• Competency in safe, low-stress animal handling.
• Basic computer skills for medical documentation.

Responsibilities

• Perform intake exams and physicals for animals.
• Run in-house diagnostics (fecal analysis, cytology) and basic tests.
• Calculate dosages and prepare medications.
• Assist with emergency triage and report life-threatening conditions.

Skills

Animal handling

Medical documentation

Team collaboration

Communication with staff/adopters

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

In-house diagnostics

Medical equipment operation

Job description

Description

Location: Buncombe County Animal Shelter
Regular schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Friday & Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. with some flexibility
Pay: starting at $19.25-$20.50/hour, depending on experience. Up to $21.70/hour with CET certification and on-call pay.
Help Animals Get the Medical Care They Need As the only open-intake animal shelter in Buncombe County, Asheville Humane Society provides medical care to animals with a wide range of needs, histories, and medical conditions. Every animal deserves compassionate, high-quality care from the moment they arrive. As a Veterinary Assistant in Shelter Medicine, you'll make sure animals get the care they need to be healthy and ready for their next step. Every day looks different. You might complete an intake exam, run a fecal or cytology, help with an emergency triage, prepare medications, or provide medical care to a pre-adopted animal before it goes home. If you have veterinary experience, enjoy shelter medicine, and are comfortable working with animals of all sizes and temperaments in a fast-paced environment, we'd love to meet you. If you don't meet every qualification but you're excited about shelter medicine, we encourage you to apply.

Your team

You'll join a core shelter medicine team of 2 veterinarians, 1 RVT, and 3 veterinary assistants, and you'll work closely with our Intake, Operations, Behavior, and Adoptions teams. You'll also be part of a larger medical team of 3 veterinarians, 2 RVTs, and 8 veterinary assistants across shelter medicine, surgery, and foster.

What You'll Do

Intake and exams

• Perform thorough physical exams on all animals at intake, and identify and triage medical concerns following our Medical SOPs.
• Complete each animal's intake workup, including age-appropriate vaccinations, testing, and preventatives, in a timely manner.

Diagnostics and treatment

• Perform and read in-house diagnostics, including fecal analysis and skin and ear cytology, and operate standard bloodwork equipment.
• Make basic diagnostic and treatment decisions within established protocols.
• Accurately calculate dosages and prepare and fill medications.
• Assist with emergency triage under the direction of veterinarians and promptly report serious or life-threatening conditions.

Handling and infection control

• Safely handle and restrain animals of all sizes and temperaments, including animals with unknown histories, using low-stress techniques.
• Apply infectious disease control practices and keep medical intake areas clean and properly disinfected.

Teamwork and communication

• Enter and maintain accurate medical documentation in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with Intake, Operations, Foster, Surgery, Behavior, and Adoptions to move animals toward adoption, including medical care for pre-adopted pets.
• Communicate medical information to non-medical staff, adopters, and the public.
• Train entry level staff and volunteers on basic medical handling and procedures.
• Perform other duties that support the mission and daily operations of Asheville Humane Society.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED
• Previous experience working in a veterinary setting
• Competency in safe, low-stress animal handling and restraint
• Working knowledge of infectious disease control practices
• Basic computer skills

Preferred

• Experience with in-house diagnostics and microscope skills, including fecals, cytology, and bloodwork
• Previous experience as a veterinary assistant in a private practice or shelter medicine setting
• Animal shelter medicine experience
• Experience in a high-volume or open-intake shelter environment

We'll train you

• North Carolina Certified Euthanasia Technician (CET) certification
• North Carolina State Certified Rabies Vaccinator status
• Our diagnostic workflows, Medical SOPs, and shelter medicine protocols

Physical Requirements

This position requires frequent standing, walking, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and handling animals throughout the day. Applicants should be able to safely lift items weighing up to 50 pounds to a height of 4 feet and safely handle and restrain dogs weighing up to 150 pounds. The position involves working with animals of varying sizes, temperaments, and medical conditions in a shelter environment that may include cleaning products, animal dander, noise, and occasional exposure to bodily fluids. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Mental health benefits covered at 100% for in-network providers
• SIMPLE IRA with up to a 3% employer match
• 18 days of paid time off during the first year
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• 9 Paid Holidays
• Pet Bereavement
• Pet prescription discounts

Benefits begin after 60 days of employment.