Animal Health Technician

Paraprofessional Animal Health Care

Reporting directly to Animal Health Supervisor, responsible for providing paraprofessional health care to animals within the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, by administering medical care to the animals and supporting the Animal Care and Animal Behavior teams.

Examples Of Work Performed

Provides health care to all shelter animals including vaccinating, de-worming, weighing, photographing, performing diagnostic tests (i.e., fecal testing, blood tests), venipuncture, placing catheters, and administering medications

Provides medication to sick and injured animals, monitors rabies quarantine animals, euthanizes animals as necessary

Collects blood, urine, fecal, and skin samples

Leads, trains, directs, and provides feedback on daily tasks of Volunteers and Community Service workers, and assists as needed

Administers health checks of all animals, verifying animal locations, administering needed medications, and documenting any concerns for follow-up

Assists veterinarian with examinations and medical procedures, including spay/neuter surgeries, microchipping, and performs medical treatments as directed

Performs radiographs at the shelter, with proficiency in correct positioning, based on protocols written by shelter veterinarian

Prepares animals for surgery, administers medication, monitors animal vitals through the surgery and recovery process, and sanitizes surgical instruments

Cleans and sanitizes the surgery room, recovery kennels, and tech rooms

Assists with emergency procedures such as CPR, IV catheter placement and drug administration, and placement on endotracheal tubes under supervision of shelter veterinarian

Monitors animal vitals through the surgery and recovery process, and provides post-op care, such as wound cleaning and bandaging

Counsels fosters/adopters on medical treatments or medical needs of shelter animals

Utilizes shelter software to maintain information about animals, including medical histories

Logs medications, including controlled substances, in required logs and records

Determines disposition on all animals, handles fractious animals, and assigns handling difficulty levels based on behavior and medical conditions

Assists in determining which animals may need outside veterinarian care

Provides medication to sick and injured animals, monitors rabies quarantine animals, euthanizes animals as necessary

Identifies animals that are candidates for outside rescue organizations or foster care

Follows all medical protocols and procedures as written by veterinarian

Transports animals to other facilities as needed

Follows all safety measures and policies, including proper animal restraints and reading animal behavioral cues, and promptly reports any safety incidents to leadership

Performs clerical and customer service duties related to the intake and processing of animals for impoundment, adoption, and redemption

Monitors and maintains the tech email, determining which medical protocol to follow when symptoms or incidents are reported, including determining how urgent the medical issue may be and the best course of action to take

Ensures building security upon opening and closing, and maintains accurate inventory of medical supplies, re-stocking as necessary

Serves as animal services supervisor for weekend coverage

Performs special duties as assigned

Organization Relationships

Reports directly to Animal Health Supervisor

Direct Reports No

Physical Demands

Position involves prolonged standing, walking, twisting, bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching, pushing, pulling, and other fine motor repetitive motions

Position requires grasping, repetitive hand movement, and fine motor coordination

Position involves lifting and carrying of animals and equipment weighing up to fifty (50) pounds, or up to one hundred (100) pounds with assistance, and exertion of up to twenty-five (25) pounds of force to move objects

Position involves hearing and/or seeing alert cues regarding animal and staff security

Position involves maintaining composure in a high-stress environment

Environmental Factors

Work tasks are conducted indoors and frequently outdoors

May work outside in inclement weather, including extreme heat, cold and wet conditions

Frequent handling of animals, including contact with waste and blood

Exposure to unpleasant smells and a noisy and wet environment associated with a shelter

Frequent exposure to animals that are agitated or injured that may attempt to bite or scratch

Position involves working in a high-volume, fast-paced environment

Position involves working with distressed individuals

Irregular Hours

Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays is a schedule requirement

Essential personnel for emergency situations; discretion of department director

Regular attendance is required

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalent

Licensed Veterinary Technician / Certified Vet Assistant OR one (1) year of experience as a veterinary technician/assistant in a shelter / animal hospital setting

One (1) year of customer service and professional communication experience

Knowledge of animal health and well-being, including nutritional needs, common animal diseases and behavioral issues, proper and safe handling, and restraints, caring for sick/injured/fractious animals, and pharmaceuticals commonly used in treatment of animal conditions

Prior experience identifying signs and symptoms of animal illnesses, injuries, and behavioral issues, drawing blood from animals, performing injections, administering medications, and performing basic veterinary testing procedures

Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, computers, phone/iPad software and applications such as instant messaging (IM), email, FaceTime, PetPoint, etc.

Licenses And Certifications

Required within thirty (30) days of employment

Valid driver's license

Required within 120 days (4 months) of employment

Euthanasia certification

Preferred Qualifications

Associates degree in a related field

Two (2) years of animal welfare experience

Advanced knowledge of dog and cat body language cues

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Certified Vet Assistant

Employment Testing

Employment is contingent on passing any post-offer pre-employment screening as listed below:

Criminal background check: Yes

Motor Vehicle Record check: Yes

Drug screening: Yes

Physical exam: No

Psychological exam: No

Additional: N/A

Supplemental Information

A Williamson County online application (resumes alone are not sufficient) must be received before the position is closed. Positions are open until filled, subject to close at any time after five (5) business days. The Human Resources Department is located at 100 Wilco Way, Georgetown, TX 78626. Phone (512) 943-1533 or visit our website at

Williamson County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). If you require an accommodation in order to apply for a position, please request assistance from the Human Resources Department.

TOBACCO FREE WORKPLACE POLICY

Williamson County is a tobacco free workplace. The use of tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff, chew, etc.) and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) (e.g., vapor, e-cigarettes, etc.) is prohibited on all Williamson County premises. Employees who violate this policy are subject to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.