Director of Veterinary Services at Humane Society For Tacoma & Pierce County – Tacoma, Washington

The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is one of Washington’s largest nonprofit animal welfare organizations, providing essential care to more than 9,000 animals in our shelter each year. As a donor-funded organization, we rely on community support to find loving homes for nearly 7,000 pets, reunite more than 1,100 lost animals with their families and assist thousands more through innovative community programs.

The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County is searching for our Director of Veterinary Services (DVS). This position reports to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and works closely with the C Suite, our Directors, Managers and Leads, as well as the Vet staff. This is a full-time position, working on-site to support the team. Our ideal candidate has at least 5 years of Shelter Medicine and surgical experience, and at least 3 years of progressive leadership in a shelter setting. Experience working with behavior case management of dogs and cats is a bonus, specifically knowledge of medical and behavioral techniques and programs commonly used in shelter settings, is a huge plus. The DVS will be expected to spend 25% of their scheduled time on the floor performing medical and surgical casework, the other 75% will be leadership and administrative duties.

About us: The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is the largest private shelter in the Pacific Northwest and carries seven municipal contracts throughout Pierce County. Tacoma is in the Puget Sound region of the Pacific Northwest, with access to year-round nature, a close drive to the cultural mecca of Seattle, and unique ecosystems to explore around the state. Veterinary Services boasts a full-service in-shelter animal care facility for dogs, cats, rabbits and other critters with Idexx in-house laboratory equipment and send-out testing options, digital dental and full body radiology, tonoscopy, mobile ultrasound, and electronic medical records. A dedicated 2 table surgical suite is available for HQHVSN surgery and a new 26 foot La Boit mobile S/N unit vehicle was received in 2025 which has been put into service through our targeted TNR program. The Veterinary Department also includes 3 additional full-time Shelter Veterinarians, a Veterinary Services Manager, 4 full-time Licensed Technicians, 10 Veterinary Technician Assistants, 1 TNR Community Clinic Coordinator and 3 Foster Coordinators, who are versatile, dedicated employees with extensive experience and a passion for shelter medicine.

Key Responsibilities:

The DVS will spend roughly 25% of their time in hands on medical, including but not limited to:

•Performing behavior and medical examinations, diagnostics, and determine treatment plans for our shelter and foster populations.

•Performing surgery on shelter population including sterilization as well as other soft tissue surgeries as needed.

•Consult and collaborate with external veterinary partners as needed to manage complicated cases.

•Evaluating and participating in shelter pathway planning.

•Conducting cruelty/neglect examinations as well as provide necropsy and forensic case review and prepare reports for legal cases. Provide expert witness testimony as needed.

•Participate in shelter animal rounds, protocol review and implementation, and special tasks or committees as assigned.

•Provide medical care via the Veterinary Department through the telemedicine program to triage concerns from our foster parents and adoption partners, conduct virtual appointments, and provide guidance for medical/behavioral concerns.

The DVS should expect to spend the remaining 75% of their time in providing leadership and direction to the team, as well as completing required administration tasks, including but not limited to:

•Leading and inspiring our veterinary team including direct management of our Shelter Veterinarians, and the Veterinary Services Manager, including assistance with scheduling and employee review.

•Supporting our Relief Veterinarians

•Working to develop and update existing medical protocols that are consistent with industry best practices.

•Participating in management level planning, including strategic meetings, training of shelter staff, and other related tasks as assigned by the CEO.

•Collaborate with the COO and operations staff to ensure in-shelter enrichment programs meet behavioral and physical needs for diagnosed conditions.

•Develop behavior treatment protocols in collaboration with the COO and operations staff.

•Support the continuation of behavior cases managed in the foster program.

•Research and develop new enrichment programs for animals in our care to benefit their individual needs; Prescribe programs for animals as needed based on behavioral observations.

•Work with our local veterinary partnerships with local providers to coordinate after-hours and emergency care outside of the scope of the shelter medicine and surgery program.

•Foster a professional and positive work culture within the Veterinary department.

Benefits we offer include:

•Health, dental, vision, STD, LTD & Life insurance with an 89% employer contribution

•Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

•100 hours of floating holiday time, 120 hours of vacation, and 96 hours of sick time annually

•10% SEP IRA retirement contribution after 2 years

•Yearly CE monetary (up to $3k for annual CE) and time-off allowance

•Medical and DEA License renewal fees as needed

•Professional liability insurance for work in the shelter

•AVMA, WSVMA and ASV dues

•VIN membership

Qualifications:

•WA State DVM license in good standing by the start of work. Ability to obtain a DEA license to become the Veterinarian of record for the program.

•Knowledge of current trends and best practices in shelter medicine and familiarity with the ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care in Shelter Medicine

•Progressive professional philosophy that humane organizations are partners working together with common goals to reduce pet overpopulation, improve animal welfare and support shelter diversion where possible.

•Experience with HQHVSN and other routine soft tissue surgeries.

•Ability to perform 30-40 sterilization procedures per day using HQHVSN techniques for a mixture of dogs and cats. Ability to perform sterilization on rabbits is strongly preferred.

•Minimum five years of clinical experience in a fast-paced shelter or humane organization treating health conditions common in shelter populations. Familiarity with isolation and quarantine procedures for shelters.

•Minimum one-year experience working with behavioral case management of dogs and cats in a shelter setting with knowledge of medical and behavioral techniques and programs commonly used in shelter settings.

•Advanced training or experience in shelter behavior evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment preferred

•Familiarity with key shelter statistics like length of stay, income and outcome data, live release rate and capacity or care and how the role of medical in these numbers. Desired Qualifications:

•Knowledge of ShelterLuv and Doobert software.

•Ability to perform soft tissue surgeries other than spay/neuter.

•Understanding of local, state, and national laws regarding animal shelter agencies, veterinary medical authority in the shelter setting, infectious disease reporting requirements. If new to Washington State, willingness to learn.

•Certified in Fear Free for Shelters course. (completion by end of first month of employment and Fear Free Elite Certified Veterinary Professional by the end of the first year of employment accepted)

The pay range for this role is:
160,000 - 180,000 USD per year(Business Address)