Veterinary Support Associate

Humane Society Pikes Peak Region; Pueblo (CO); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

401K with employer matching

Dental and vision plans

Paid time off

Holidays

Direct Deposit

Job summary

Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) is seeking a Veterinary Support Associate to join our medical team on a full-time, on-site basis. You will provide high-level medical and surgical support, assist veterinarians, and help manage patient care throughout treatment.

The role requires hands-on animal care experience, strong medical documentation, and the ability to work in a fast-paced shelter environment.

Qualifications

• Required: High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent
• Prior animal handling experience
• Minimum of two years of experience in a veterinary clinic, animal shelter, or similar veterinary setting
• Ability to effectively communicate, solve problems, and perform medical calculations
• Preferred: Veterinary Assistant Certificate from an accredited institution
• Enrollment in or completion of a Veterinary Technician program
• Previous shelter medicine experience

Responsibilities

• Assist veterinarians during examinations, diagnostics, and treatments
• Draw blood, place IV catheters, administer medications, and provide nursing care
• Calculate drug dosages and fluid rates accurately
• Monitor anesthesia and assist with surgical prep and recovery
• Intubate, extubate, and monitor patients during procedures
• Perform in-house lab testing and radiographs
• Triages incoming cases and communicates status to veterinarians and staff
• Provide care for hospitalized, isolation, foster, and recovering patients
• Maintain accurate medical records and update shelter software
• Support vaccination and treatment protocols
• Provide care for animals in parvovirus and ringworm isolation wards
• Train and assist volunteers, externs, and team members as needed
• Assist with humane euthanasia procedures when necessary
• Collaborate with veterinary, shelter, foster, and adoption teams to ensure best outcomes

Skills

Veterinary patient care

Medical calculations

Communication

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Education

High School Diploma / GED

Veterinary Assistant Certificate

Veterinary Technician program (enrollment/completion)

Job description

Veterinary Support Associate

Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR)

Full-Time | On-Site

Use Your Veterinary Skills to Save Lives

Are you an experienced veterinary professional looking for meaningful work that goes beyond routine appointments?

At HSPPR, every day presents an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of animals who need us most. As a Veterinary Support Associate, you'll be a critical member of our medical team, providing advanced patient care, supporting surgical procedures, and helping animals recover, heal, and find brighter futures.

Our mission is simple but impactful: HSPPR offers compassionate care to animals, supports safe communities, and provides socially conscious sheltering. If you're passionate about shelter medicine, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and want your work to directly support life‑saving efforts, we'd love to meet you.

What You'll Do

As a Veterinary Support Associate, you'll provide high-level medical and surgical support while helping ensure exceptional care for animals throughout their treatment journey.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assisting veterinarians during examinations, diagnostics, and treatments
• Drawing blood, placing IV catheters, administering medications, and providing nursing care
• Calculating drug dosages and fluid rates accurately
• Monitoring anesthesia and assisting with surgical preparation and recovery
• Intubating, extubating, and monitoring patients during procedures
• Performing in‑house laboratory testing and radiographs
• Triaging incoming medical cases and communicating patient status to veterinarians and staff
• Providing care for hospitalized, isolation, foster, and recovering patients
• Maintaining accurate medical records and updating shelter software systems
• Supporting vaccination and treatment protocols
• Providing medical care for animals in parvovirus and ringworm isolation wards
• Training and assisting volunteers, externs, and team members as needed
• Assisting with humane euthanasia procedures when necessary
• Collaborating with veterinary, shelter, foster, and adoption teams to ensure the best possible outcomes for animals

What We're Looking For

Successful candidates are:

• Passionate about animal welfare and shelter medicine
• Skilled in veterinary patient care and clinical procedures
• Calm and confident when prioritizing multiple medical cases
• Compassionate toward animals and professional when interacting with clients, volunteers, and coworkers
• Detail‑oriented with strong medical documentation skills
• Adaptable and comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment where every day is different
• Team‑focused and committed to HSPPR's mission and values

Qualifications

Required:

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent
• Prior animal handling experience
• Minimum of two years of experience in a veterinary clinic, animal shelter, or similar veterinary setting
• Ability to effectively communicate, solve problems, and perform medical calculations

Preferred:

• Veterinary Assistant Certificate from an accredited institution
• Enrollment in or completion of a Veterinary Technician program
• Previous shelter medicine experience

Physical Requirements

This active, hands‑on position requires:

• Standing and walking for extended periods throughout the day
• Frequent lifting and moving of animals and equipment weighing 25+ pounds and occasionally 40+ pounds
• Frequent bending, kneeling, crouching, and reaching
• Working around animals, animal allergens, cleaning agents, and varying environmental conditions
• Exposure to medical procedures, infectious disease wards, and shelter environments

Schedule

• Full‑time schedule
• Regular schedule includes at least one weekend day
• May include evening, weekend, and holiday shifts based on operational needs

Why Join HSPPR?

Shelter medicine is unlike any other veterinary field. Here, your skills don't just improve lives‑they help save them.

At HSPPR, you'll work alongside a dedicated team committed to providing compassionate care, advancing animal welfare, and serving our community. You'll gain experience with a wide variety of medical cases, contribute to life‑saving programs, and make a lasting impact on the animals who depend on us.

In addition to competitive salaries, we offer comprehensive benefits to our full‑time staff.

Benefits include:

• Health Insurance
• 401K with employer matching up to 4% of salary
• Dental and vision Plans
• Supplemental Group Life Insurance
• Short and long term disability Insurance
• Paid time off
• Holidays
• Direct Deposit
• Personal Pet Perks
• Wellness Programs
• Paid Sabbatical after 5 years of employment

The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness qualified employer. To learn more about this program, go to https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/.

The core values of the staff unite us and guide us to provide the best service to the animals in our care, our organization, and our community.

Core Values Statements-

• Compassion: We believe that animals matter. We are committed to treating animals and people with kindness, respect and compassion.
• Stewardship: We are accountable and transparent in our actions and in the use of our resources to build trust in those we serve.
• Integrity: We believe we can make the greatest impact by staying true to our mission, always doing what is best for the animals and people of our community, and by standing united in our decisions.
• Excellence: We are passionate about our mission, and strive for excellence through continual learning, innovation and the development of our board, staff and volunteers.
• Collaboration: We seek strategic partnerships and alliances to advance the welfare and protection of animals and people.
• Service: We exist to serve our communities and operate with this commitment to serve as front and center in all we do.

As a condition of employment with HSPPR, you will be required to authorize HSPPR and ProScreening to conduct a background check before confirming an employment start date. The background check will include a criminal investigation, verification of citizenship/immigration status, and a motor vehicle record. By applying for this position, you acknowledge and agree that any offers of employment will be contingent upon completion of the background check to the satisfaction of HSPPR.

In consideration of any offers of employment made as a result of your interest in this position, by applying for this position, you hereby waive any and all claims that you may have against HSPPR for invasion of privacy in respect to drug testing and background checks as listed above.