Description

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is currently seeking a candidate to join our team. This is a full-time, FLSA nonexempt opportunity as a Veterinary Assistant, reporting to the Director of Clinic Operations. 

Veterinary Assistant

Since 1897, The Humane Society for Southwest Washington (HSSW) has been caring for the animals of Southwest Washington and the surrounding area. We are a donor-supported non-profit with public contracts. Our mission is to rescue, return, restore, rehome, and reconnect one animal at a time.

Path Forward 2025, is an exciting and ambitious strategic plan focused on five strategic pillars: lifesaving pathways for animals, keeping people and pets together, thriving workforce, mission expansion and leveraging technology. Through these efforts we will build a community low-cost veterinary clinic, behavior and education center and improve animal spaces. We will expand programs and resources for the community allowing people and pets to stay together. People bring our mission to life each day. We are committed to a diverse, healthy, and engaged team of employees and volunteers who strive for excellence, treat one another with kindness, and provide quality and compassionate care for the pets and people we serve.

Position Summary

The mission of the Veterinary Assistant is to have the greatest positive impact on the continuity of care an animal receives during its stay at HSSW through daily monitoring and by treatment of health conditions and surgical procedures that keep in alignment with HSSW’s vision, mission, values, and standard operating procedures. The Veterinary Assistant is responsible for monitoring and treating all animals under veterinary care and assisting the Surgery Team with providing excellent quality, high volume spay/neuter surgery.

This is an FLSA non-exempt status position reporting to the Director of Clinic Operations either as a full-time and/or in a part-time capacity. Full-time is between thirty and forty hours per week, part-time is between sixteen and twenty-nine hours per week.

The Ideal Applicant

• Displays interest, enthusiasm, and an affinity for shelter medicine and working with both animals and the people who love them. 
• Demonstrates an attitude in being of service, using good judgment, maintaining a positive outlook, and having a sense of humor.
• Leads with a transparent and effective communication style, setting a positive example and maintaining an elevated level of professionalism.
• Is committed to achieving excellence individually and in collaboration with a team.
• Exhibits adaptability, curiosity, flexible to change, open to innovative ideas, and encourages others to understand changes in work tasks, situations, and environment as an opportunity for transformation. 
• Is committed to personal and professional development through life-long learning.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

VA Level 1 – Basic Entry Level tasks

• Assist with daily pre- and post-op care of surgical patients and disease control protocols.
• Maintains a clean, sterile, and functioning prep and surgery room.
• Cleans and maintains surgical instruments; prepares surgical packs.
• Restrains animals for exams and anesthetic induction; assists in surgical prep.
• Assists Licensed Veterinary Technician and Surgeons.
• Enters surgery records into database; maintains paperwork.
• Cleans and disinfects tables, floors, cages, and surgery equipment.
• Monitors, treats, and medicates all animals under veterinary care. 
• Assists Veterinarian in examinations, treatments, diagnostics, and other duties.
• Input data into Shelter Buddy regarding exams, medications, and treatments.
• Demonstrates and teaches technical skills and proper sanitation protocols and procedures to other staff members of HSSW who participate in animal care.
• Cleans and maintains areas of shelter clinic.
• Assists with inventory and orders supplies.
• Promotes a safe working environment and follows safety protocols. 
• Maintains equipment in good working condition. 
• Educates clients on pre- and post-surgical care of their animals. 
• Integrates with volunteers and workforce partners, taking an active role in their training, safety, performance, and job satisfaction.
• Responds to inquiries and concerns from Foster Care providers and volunteers, schedules, and assists with appointments.
• Attends continuing education and performs other duties and special projects.

VA Level 2 – adding these tasks…

• Provides training to staff/volunteers on disease control standards, shelter medicine protocols, and foster care guidelines. 
• Provides advice and resources on HSSW programs and other animal welfare-related topics.
• Provides orientation and training to veterinary students, veterinary assistants, and interns.
• Proficient in lab work and radiology
• High level of skill in Shelter Buddy, able to run reports and complete data entry.
• Fill prescriptions.
• Make decisions and solve problems independently. 

VA Level 3 – adding these tasks…

• Dentistry skills
• CPR trained.
• Able to become Registered Medication Clerk
• Perform euthanasia of selected animals with compassion and participate in Euthanasia Technician training.

Qualifications

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Licenses, and Credentials

• Competent in monitoring anesthesia and assisting surgeon. 
• Effective organization skills 
• Excellent customer service skills 
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively as a team. 
• Ability to manage multiple tasks in a demanding environment.
• Display compassion and confidence when communicating with the public, staff, and volunteers.
• Meticulous with the ability to maintain and organize written and computerized records.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous work experience in an animal shelter or veterinary clinic 
• Possession of valid driver’s license and insurable driving record in accordance with HSSW policy.

General Expectations

• Promote, and follow safety guidelines to ensure a safe work environment. 
• Display initiative and exercise good judgment.
• Exercise good judgment when working with the public, volunteers, workforce partners and staff.
• Committed to maintaining the integrity of the HSSW’s mission and adoption program and the importance of Spay/Neuter to end pet overpopulation.
• Adheres to agency policies and procedures, providing a positive example/role model for other employees.
• Maintains a positive and respectful attitude, displaying excellent people skills and high degree of emotional intelligence. 
• Demonstrates flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
• Consistently reports to work on time prepared to perform duties of position.
• Meets department productivity standards.

Compensation and Benefits

Veterinary Assistant positions can be either full-time, 30 to 40 hours per week, or part-time 16 to 29 hours per week position. Both part-time & full-time employment is FLSA non-exempt. Starting pay for the entry level Veterinary Assistant 1 position is $17.31 per hour, within an hourly pay range of $17.31-$18.35. For the positions of Veterinary Assistant levels 2 & 3, the hourly pay range is $18.35 to $19.65. A Vet Assistant 2 can expect compensation to start at the bottom of the range, whereas a Vet Assistant 3 can expect compensation to start at mid-range. Pay increases are obtained depending on experience, attitude, work ethic, commitment to teamwork, learning ability, skill level, core competencies and organizational budget.

In addition to serving in an organization with a compassionate and strategic purpose; full time employees currently enjoy health, dental, and vision insurance benefits that become effective the first of the month after hire. Part time employees may choose to participate in a shared cost premium for dental and vision benefits. Both full time and part time employees, enjoy a matching percentage 401 (k) retirement plan that begins the first month after hire, has a 3-year graded vestment schedule and a ROTH contribution option. An employee assistance program for all household member access is also available. A Section 125 FSA Cafeteria Plan for out-of-pocket health and/or dependent day care expenses and numerous employee discounts that include partner organizations and access to affordable life, disability, and accidental supplemental insurance. As a 501c3 non-profit organization, full-time employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness with the potential to eliminate student loans within 10 years!

Paid Time Off (PTO) benefits -This position is considered a Level PTO3, which accrues PTO at a rate of 0.04 hours for every hour worked. Working 40 hours per week equates to about 83 hours per year. Additional Paid time benefits include bereavement & pet bereavement leave and for full-time employees, an annual allotment of 48 hours floating holiday pay and the ability to build a long-term sick leave bank.

Organizational Culture

• Vision: A community where everyone loves and cares for animals.
• Mission: Rescue: Return. Restore. Rehome. Reconnect. One animal at a time.
• Core Values
• Compassion: the desire to take action to relieve suffering.
• Collaboration: working with others to produce, create or achieve a common goal.
• Excellence: the quality of being outstanding.
• Service: helping or doing work for others; providing aid.
• Integrity: being honest and having strong moral principles; the state of being whole and undivided 

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

The Veterinary Assistant must be able to safely work with a variety of animals. In addition, they must be able to stand, walk, sit, talk, and hear, stoop, bend, squat, kneel, stretch, grasp, and grip, put fingers together firmly and reach above and below shoulder level and lift, push, pull , lift and/or carry up to 50 pounds of weight, repetitively use hands to operate computers, flex the neck upward and downward; twist the neck and the waist. 

Work is performed in an animal shelter veterinary clinic environment, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals. Primary workplace is at an animal shelter that operates 7 days per week with potential exposure to fractious animals; high noise levels; zoonotic diseases; animal bites and scratches; cleaning chemicals and allergens. Potential exposure of infectious diseases to owned animals.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship. HSSW participates in E-Verify.

How to Apply

If HSSW and this job sounds like the right place for you, and you meet the qualifications for this position, click the Apply button at the top of the posting and begin your journey today. For more information visit https://southwesthumane.org/about-us/careers/. 

Application Deadline: Open until filled.