Love Animals? Would you like to spend your day surrounded by wagging tails and soft purrs? The Humane Society of Sonoma County (HSSC) is seeking an animal loving, dynamic and enthusiastic full-time Veterinary Assistant to join our medical team.
The Vet Asst. position plays a vital role in supporting our talented medical professionals and is also responsible for providing high quality, humane animal care while maintaining the very highest of standards in medical care. It also ensures all shelter animals and public spay/neuter patients, as well as those coming through our Community Veterinary Clinic, are provided the best possible care and attention while at the HSSC.
Some of the responsibilities include animal care, housing, cleaning, feeding, providing treatments and medications, dog walking, occasional bathing & grooming, and record keeping. This position will also assist other Veterinary Assistants and Technicians with surgery setup and breakdown, end of day cleaning and restocking, and discharge of surgery patients.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Assists with recovery of surgery animals from anesthesia.
Administers oral and injectable medications, subcutaneous fluids, vaccinations, and microchips.
Assists with discharge of public surgery patients following spay/neuter surgery.
Returns shelter animals to their cages, habitats and kennels following surgery.
Cleans and disinfects surgery cages, kennels, and runs following surgery.
Assists with cleaning, wrapping, and sterilizing surgical packs.
Mops floors, washes surgical laundry and towels, cleans surgical suite and shelter medicine treatment room, and performs other light maintenance at the end of each day.
Stocks medical supplies in surgery and treatment areas ensuring that supplies are organized and ready for the next day.
Monitors the health, safety, behavior and appearance of shelter animals and reports observations that requires medical care or other attention.
Runs Shelter Buddy reports and performs other administrative duties for shelter medicine.
Assists Veterinarians and Shelter Medicine staff with examinations, treatments, anesthetic procedures and record keeping for shelter animals.
Follow OSHA standards and be able to find Material Safety Data Sheets quickly.
Always be in position and prepared to work at the start of each scheduled shift.
Promote a positive attitude among staff and assist other employees as needed.
Show respect for team members and animals (alive or deceased) at all times.
Be prepared to handle any patient or facility emergency that may arise, including dog or cat fights, choking or strangulating animals, and facility fire or weather-related emergencies. Follow contingency plans.
Maximize patients’ comfort with a gentle and reassuring manner. Understand that actions that would constitute animal cruelty under state or local laws or the practice’s policies will be grounds for immediate reprimand and/or termination.
Monitor patients’ behaviors and note potentially aggressive behaviors. Use caution when handling aggressive or potentially aggressive pets. Request assistance when needed.
Monitor changes in patients’ conditions. Alert doctors to significant changes.
Start necessary treatment, perform rechecks and clear animals following appropriate protocol.
Strictly follow isolation and contagious disease protocols.
Maintain complete and accurate patient records.
Assist with euthanasia procedures as per Humane Society of Sonoma County policies & California Laws.
Provide basic life support, including CPR, airway maintenance, and oxygen therapy.
Cleans and disinfects animal areas as necessary to maintain a safe and sanitary environment.
Serves as a liaison with other departments to coordinate medical care of shelter animals.
Handle stress and pressure with poise while working in a high pace working environment.
Maintains accurate and up-to-date records.
Maintain a pleasant, professional, courteous and tactful position with co-workers and the public at all times.
Actively support and promote the mission and goals of the Humane Society ensuring a positive image, enhancing the operation of the organization, and improving the quality of life for animals.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Always strive to work with the 5 freedoms of animal welfare in mind:
Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor
Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area
Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
Freedom to express (most) normal behavior by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind
Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment that avoid mental suffering
Supervision: This position reports directly to the Director of Veterinary Services.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
The ability to work independently as well as in a team environment.
Must demonstrate self-motivation, responsibility, excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
Knowledge of domestic animal breeds, diseases, health care and basic animal behavior.
Ability to properly lift animals, food, and supplies up to 50 pounds.
Good oral and written communication skills.
QUALIFICATIONS
Six (6) months related animal care experience preferred.
Experience in humane animal handling, restraint and confinement.
Willingness to work flexible days and hours, including evening shifts, weekends and/or holidays.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Must be able to interact with and handle animals.
Ability to walk and/or stand throughout a normal workday.
Must be able to communicate effectively (speak and listen).
Must be able to lift, move, and carry objects and animals up to 50 pounds.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; stand, walk, use hands to handle objects/operate keyboards and telephones; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear; bend, reach, stoop, kneel, squat, and crawl; climb or balance. Use of arms above the shoulder is sometimes required.
Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Allergic conditions, which would be aggravated when handling or working with animals may result is disqualification.
Work environment: The employee is generally working in a shelter environment and will be exposed to moderately loud noise levels (such as barking dogs, ringing phones), cleaning agents, bites, scratches, and animal waste. There is possible exposure to zoonotic diseases.