Veterinary Assistant

City of Indianapolis and Marion County; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 34,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Indianapolis and Marion County Animal Care Services is seeking a veterinary technician to assist veterinarians in a shelter setting. The role includes exams, vaccinations, medications, record-keeping, and participation in medical decisions for the welfare of animals.

Strong knowledge of animal health and veterinary medicine is required, with at least 2 years of shelter or clinic experience. Weekend/evening hours may be necessary, and staff must communicate professionally with a diverse

Qualifications

• Requires at least 2 years of experience in a veterinary clinic or animal shelter.
• Must be able to write legibly and learn to use the shelter management computer system.
• Weekend and evening hours may be required.
• Strong knowledge of animal health and diseases and veterinary medicine.

Responsibilities

• Performs exams on every animal entering the building, including vaccines, de-worming, nail trims, and ear cleaning.
• Administers medications to animals.
• Maintains clear and accurate records.
• Assesses the health of animals in the shelter.
• Participates in euthanasia decisions for medical reasons.
• Provides feedback on animal behavior.
• Transports animals to veterinary clinics for spay-neuter or other treatments.
• Grooms severely neglected animals.
• Performs diagnostic skin scrapes and fecal parasite tests.
• Clips and cleans wounds.
• Assesses animals for fleas and external parasites.

Skills

Veterinary technician skills

Animal health knowledge

Veterinary medicine knowledge

Communication with diverse staff

Diagnostic tests

Tools

Shelter management system

Job description

Agency Summary

The purpose and mission of Animal Care Services is advocating animal welfare, adoption, and rescue. The agency does this by protecting and promoting the health, safety, and welfare of pets and livestock in Marion County. The agency is able to do this by cultivating a productive, collaborative, and compliant work environment in order for our workforce to meet the needs of the constituents of Indianapolis and Marion County.

Job Summary

Position is responsible for assisting the Veterinarian.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The City of Indianapolis Marion County is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. We value diversity in perspectives and experiences among colleagues and the residents of this city of whom we serve.

Duties

• Performs exams on every animal entering the building, including but not limited to: identifying age, breed, sex, spay or neuter status, obtaining weights, assessing animals for pregnancy, administering vaccines, de-worming, flea preventative, performing nail trims and ear cleanings as needed and triaging animals for the medical team.
• Administers medications to animals.
• Maintains clear and accurate records.
• Assesses the health of animals in the shelter.
• Provides input on euthanasia decisions for medical reasons.
• Provides feedback on the behavior of animals.
• Performs animal euthanasia.
• Performs diagnostic skin scrapes on animals.
• Performs diagnostic fecal parasite tests on animals.
• Clips and cleans wounds.
• Assesses animals for fleas, ear mites, and other external parasites.
• Grooms severely neglected animals.
• Transports animals to veterinary clinics for spay-neuter surgery or other medical treatments.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities that management may deem necessary from time to time.

Responsibilities

• Must have at least 2 years working experience in a veterinary clinic or animal shelter.
• Must be able to communicate with a culturally diverse staff and public and to display professional and courteous behavior at all times.
• Must be able to write legibly and learn to use the shelter management computer system.
• Weekend and evening hours may be required.
• Must have a strong knowledge of animal health and diseases.
• Must have a strong knowledge of veterinary medicine.
• Must have veterinary technician skills such as performing diagnostic tests and physical examinations of animals.
• Must be able to effectively communicate with veterinarians, managers, kennel and field staffing in a professional and courteous manner.
• Position will be responsible for working in loud and wet conditions, working with animals of unknown health, origin, or temperaments, and will sometimes be required to perform work outside in inclement weather.