Job Summary

Veterinary Assistants are responsible for providing support to medical staff and the shelter veterinarian and administering care as appropriate to animals in the care of Animal Allies Humane Society. This is a great opportunity for individuals with an interest in animal welfare and/or medicine to learn valuable skills and gain experience in the field. Veterinary Assistants are ambassadors of AAHS at all times and shall present themselves in a positive manner during work hours. This individual should have a strong commitment to the mission and vision of Animal Allies Humane Society and be able to work cross-functionally with team members, volunteers and members of the public to create a positive workplace culture. Animal Allies Humane Society believes that every animal deserves a chance to find a forever home. Care protocols are not driven by clients but by compassion. Our Veterinary Assistants work closely with our Shelter Veterinarian and Practice Manager to render the best care in a state of the art facility. Animal Allies is recognized as one of the top Adoption Centers in the state and nationally.

Job Duties

• Assist with intake examinations on all incoming animals
• Assist with providing vaccinations and performing blood draws
• Administer medications to animals as prescribed by the veterinarian
• Assist with determining animal behavior, health, or other concerns and inform the correct people
• Prepare patients for a variety of procedures
• Safely restrain patients during examinations and other procedures
• Transport patients from kennels to medical room
• Transport animals to and from outside veterinary services such as spay/neuter and appointments
• Perform medical inventory under the supervision of the team lead.
• Assist with handling and unloading transport animals.
• Maintain communication with Adoption and Kennel staff regarding the animals in our care, including suggesting moves of the animals throughout the building
• Maintain controlled substance and medical records
• Provide excellent patient care
• Perform daily cleaning of medical area, especially in between patients
• Wash and sterilize equipment throughout the day
• Clean medical areas including mopping and sweeping
• Coordinating laboratory tests
• Performing fecal flotations and other diagnostic tests
• Entering medical records and other information into our Pet Point record keeping system
• Other duties may be performed as required or assigned by the Practice Manager or Team Lead.

Required Qualifications

• Must be a current or incoming CSS student
• Federal work study eligibility is required (international students are not eligible)
• Must be able to learn basic veterinary medical concepts including, but not limited to, surgical and anesthetic protocols and anesthetic risks, basic veterinary medicine terminology, and provide hands on care to the animals in our facility
• Must also be able to communicate basic veterinary concepts to clients and repeat information relayed by a veterinarian to the public and other departments
• Must communicate with the public in a professional manner Animal Handling
• Will handle (on average) 25 dogs and cats per day
• Must learn characteristics of animal behavior (for example: be able to identify aggressive or fearful behaviour)
• Must be comfortable with both dogs and cats and handling those that are difficult to restrain in a safe manner
• Should identify own limitations and be willing to ask for help
• Must be proficient at animal restraint for various procedures, including the appropriate use of safety equipment for fractious or feral animals
• Must be able to work standing or sitting for 8 or more hours
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds repeatedly throughout the day with help
• Must be able to bend and kneel repeatedly
• Must be able to see fine detail in a variety of situations
• Must be able to work in potentially extreme environmental temperatures
• Work under stressful conditions, and work efficiently and effectively under those
• conditions
• Respond quickly to a variety of medical situations as needed
• Cope with animal death in a healthy way
• Ability to rapidly and accurately process information
• Ability to recognize need for assistance and ask for help
• Ability to control instinct (for example: while restraining it is often required to tighten grip and NOT release an animal that begins to struggle)
• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations

Preferred Qualifications

• The ideal candidate will have previous veterinary assistant experience. To
• Perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty
• Satisfactorily with or without accommodations. The requirements listed are
• Representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Special Instructions to Applicants

• Eligibility is required for this position, and if eligibility is lost, the position can no longer be funded by CSS. Employers may choose to subsidize wages, but this is not guaranteed. Questions? Contact Financial Aid to discuss your eligibility
• International students are not eligible for this off campus position
• A vehicle is recommended for this position
• Resume and cover letter submission required
• Potential and Prolonged Exposure:
  • Prolonged exposure to various aqueous solutions including, but not limited to, dish soap, chlorhexidine, isopropyl, and hydrogen peroxide
  • Potential exposure to isoflurane anesthetic gas
  • Prolonged exposure to quaternary ammonium cleaners and bleach
  • Potential exposure to sharps, including needles and surgical blades
  • Potential exposure to infected or aggressive animals, animal wastes and animal blood.