Assistant, Veterinary Medicine

Are you an experienced Veterinary Assistant or taking classes in Veterinary Technology? Perhaps you have animal handling experience and thrive in a fast-paced team environment. Do you have or want to gain experience with neonates, high-volume high-quality spay / neuter and shelter medicine? If so, Best Friends may be the place for you! Our clinic team is made up of caring and skilled veterinary professionals, who are dedicated to ensuring our rescue animals are healthy, happy, and ready for adoption. Our clinic boasts surgical suites with full monitoring capabilities, digital radiology, in-house laboratory, ultrasound and more. Join our team and start making a difference today!

Location : West LA

Work shift : Sun-Thurs or Tues-Sat 8am-5pm PST

Hiring Range : This position's hiring rate is anticipated to be $23.00 - $25.00 per hour, commensurate with experience plus great benefits!

Interviews will occur weekly until the position is filled.

Position Summary : Veterinary Assistants support high quality medical care for animals in Best Friends lifesaving and veterinary programs. They are responsible for daily activities in the veterinary department. Veterinary assistants act with urgency to accomplish important tasks and play a direct role in achieving Best Friends Animal Society's no-kill mission and organizational success. Assistants may receive intensive assignments in a particular program, based on organizational needs.

Culture Statement and Responsibility : We value attitude over aptitude, and we treat Kindness as a discipline because it is paramount in our culture along with our other Guiding Principles. Culture is how we talk to and treat ourselves and one another, it's how we generate and respond to change, it's how we plan and make decisions, it's how we do what we do.

Key Responsibilities :

• Demonstrate kindness and the Golden Rule in our everyday actions by practicing inclusion and respect for every person for the value they bring to the table. Be a role model for the spirit of authenticity, kindness and positive influence with each other, our visitors, and volunteers as well as to the animals every day. This includes listening, being present, being supportive of others and demonstrating compassion and curiosity in conflict.
• Perform basic medical care including but not limited to medicating, vaccinating, subcutaneous fluids, and microchipping under the direction of a veterinarian; have knowledge of sterile techniques, basic knowledge of surgical instruments, and knowledge of animal physiology.
• Maintain a clean and disinfected working environment, maintain controlled substances logs, accurately enter and maintain patient and client medical data.
• Support, empower and enable volunteers and foster parents with the goal of utilizing volunteers to expand Best Friends lifesaving capacity; assist with client communications including aftercare and emergency support.
• Provide basic care such as feeding, cleaning, walking, and socialization for animals temporarily housed or transported within Lifesaving Center vehicles, buildings, or facilities.
• Deliver superior customer service; communicate (or develop communications) about and maintain knowledge of Best Friends and community partner programs.
• Work collaboratively with Best Friends' team members in all areas of operations to achieve lifesaving goals; follow Best Friends policies, procedures, and task lists for daily lifesaving outcome assignments, including accurate and timely communications, work completion, data entry, and recordkeeping.
• Maintain a safe workplace, value, and model safe work practices, adhering to organizational safety practices and rules, and communicating to leadership about unsafe practices and conditions.

Required Skills and Experience :

Physical & Other Requirements :

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career at Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status.

Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and / or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by Best Friends Animal Society.