Veterinary Clinic Technician
Location: Novelty, Ohio
Department: Clinic
Position: Full-Time, Hourly, Non-Exempt
Reports To: Director of Veterinary Services
Position Summary
Rescue Village is seeking a skilled, compassionate, and dependable Veterinary Clinic Technician to support the daily work of our shelter medical team.
Under the direction of the Director of Veterinary Services and appropriate veterinary supervision, the Veterinary Clinic Technician helps provide humane, timely, and high-quality medical support for animals in Rescue Village’s care. This position supports medical intake, daily treatments, hospitalized animal care, preventive medicine, surgery preparation and recovery, medical records, foster and shelter medical needs, and overall clinic readiness.
The Veterinary Clinic Technician works closely with veterinarians, the Clinic Manager, Shelter Services, Foster, Humane Law Enforcement, and other departments. This hands-on role requires strong animal-handling skills, sound judgment, accurate documentation, professional communication, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced shelter and clinic environment.
Essential Responsibilities
Clinical Care and Treatment Support
- Administer medications, treatments, vaccines, preventives, microchips, oral medications, topical medications, and related care as directed by a veterinarian and according to Rescue Village medical protocols.
- Provide daily care, feeding, monitoring, and support for hospitalized or clinic-housed animals.
- Support safe triage, intake exams, and medical intake procedures.
- Use Fear Free-informed, low-stress, safe animal-handling practices.
- Observe animals for changes in health, behavior, appetite, comfort, mobility, recovery status, and other clinical concerns.
- Communicate promptly with veterinarians and clinic leadership regarding medical needs, treatment concerns, urgent changes, or questions.
- Assist with biological sample collection, preparation, submission, and basic in-house laboratory testing as assigned.
- Label, prepare, and dispense patient medications under veterinary supervision.
- Support preventive care, infectious-disease prevention, disease control, and general medical care across the organization.
Surgery Support and Recovery
- Prepare patients for surgery according to veterinary direction and clinic procedures.
- Assist with surgical setup, patient handling, pre-operative preparation, and documentation.
- Monitor animals during surgery and recovery within training and assigned responsibilities.
- Observe and report changes in patient status during recovery.
- Clean, prepare, wrap, and maintain surgical instruments and instrument packs.
- Maintain surgery, treatment, recovery, and related clinical spaces in clean, organized, stocked, functional, and safe condition.
Medical Records, Inventory and Clinic Readiness
- Enter exam findings, treatments, vaccines, medications, microchips, behavioral observations, medical notes, and other required information accurately and promptly in the electronic medical record system.
- Help ensure animals in shelter and foster care remain current on vaccination, preventive medicine, treatment, and recheck schedules.
- Maintain accurate, complete, timely, and confidential medical records.
- Track assigned follow-up needs, rechecks, treatments, pending lab work, medication refills, foster medical needs, and other clinical tasks through completion or appropriate handoff.
- Monitor clinic, intake, surgery, treatment, and medical supplies; restock assigned supplies and communicate ordering needs to the Clinic Manager according to delegated clinic procedures.
- Identify and report equipment, facility, supply, sanitation, documentation, or safety concerns that may affect animal care or clinic operations.
Communication and Teamwork
- Serve as a professional liaison between the Clinic and Shelter Services, Foster, Humane Law Enforcement, and other Rescue Village departments.
- Provide accurate medical-process information within the position’s role and training.
- Refer questions requiring veterinary judgment, policy interpretation, medical disposition, or organizational decision-making to the appropriate veterinarian or leader.
- Support staff, volunteers, fosters, and clients in understanding routine animal medical needs, preventive care, treatment instructions, and follow-up requirements when assigned.
- Communicate clearly and professionally regarding animal status, medical needs, scheduling, records, movement, treatment timing, and follow-up.
- Maintain confidentiality and sound judgment regarding medical records, clients, fosters, adopters, investigations, employees, volunteers, donors, and organizational matters.
- Represent Rescue Village professionally and courteously in all interactions.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required.
- Current Ohio Registered Veterinary Technician license or active progress toward RVT licensure strongly preferred.
- Veterinary clinic, shelter medicine, animal hospital, animal-care, or comparable clinical animal-care experience preferred.
- Animal shelter experience strongly preferred.
- Strong animal-handling and clinical-assistance skills.
- Knowledge of animal behavior, health observation, safe handling, infectious disease, sanitation, preventive medicine, common medical conditions, and daily animal care.
- Experience with medical recordkeeping and veterinary medical terminology preferred.
- Ability to safely handle animals of varying species, sizes, health conditions, and temperaments, including animals presenting medical or behavioral challenges.
- Ability to follow veterinary direction, written protocols, treatment instructions, safety procedures, and documentation requirements accurately.
- Strong communication, organization, time management, teamwork, judgment, discretion, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to use computers, email, electronic medical record systems, databases, and standard office systems.
- Commitment to Rescue Village’s mission, animal welfare standards, and humane care of animals.
- Ability to pass a background check and drug screening required.
Physical and Work Environment
Work is performed in an active animal shelter and clinic environment operating seven days per week, with exposure to animals, noise, odors, cleaning agents, disinfectants, zoonotic disease risk, animal bites or scratches, medical procedures, surgery and recovery areas, emotionally difficult situations, and outdoor weather conditions.
The position requires frequent standing, walking, bending, reaching, kneeling, lifting, carrying, cleaning, animal handling, computer use, and movement throughout the shelter and clinic. Employees must be able to lift or move animals, supplies, and objects weighing up to 50 pounds with assistance.
Schedule and Benefits
This is a full-time, hourly position. The schedule may include weekends, evenings, holidays, emergency coverage, and adjusted hours based on operational needs.
Benefits include health, dental, vision, disability and life insurance; 401(k) with employer match; license reimbursement; continuing education support; paid holidays; and paid time off.
Rescue Village is an equal opportunity employer.
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- License reimbursement
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
