Position Summary: BARCS is seeking a compassionate, highly skilled Veterinary Technician with exceptional animal handling abilities to join our Medical Team. This position requires confidence and expertise in safely handling dogs and cats of all sizes, temperaments, and behavioral challenges, including fearful, fractious, and undersocialized animals, as well as wildlife and other species that enter the shelter.
The Veterinary Technician plays a vital role in providing high-quality medical care for animals entering and leaving the shelter while supporting BARCS' lifesaving mission. Responsibilities include conducting intake evaluations, assisting veterinarians with diagnostics and treatment, administering medications and vaccines, performing laboratory procedures, coordinating placement pathways, providing humane euthanasia, and assisting with BARCS intake prevention program for medical conditions.
This position requires sound medical judgment, excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, emotionally demanding shelter environment while maintaining compassion for both animals and people.
A typical workweek includes weekends and holidays and participation in a rotating overnight on-call schedule.
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Essential Responsibilities:
Animal Intake & Medical Care
- Perform daily intake procedures for all incoming animals, including physical examinations, microchip scanning, vaccinations, parasite prevention, and administration of medications.
- Assist veterinarians with physical examinations, diagnostics, radiology, lab procedures, performing blood draws and treatments as needed.
- Administer medications, vaccines, microchips, fluids, and other prescribed treatments accurately and safely.
- Monitor shelter animals for changes in medical condition and communicate concerns promptly.
- Collaborate with veterinarians to ensure all animals receive appropriate medical care and humane housing.
Animal Handling & Behavior
- Safely and confidently restrain and handle dogs, cats, wildlife, and other species regardless of size, temperament, medical condition, or behavioral challenges.
- Utilize Fear Free and low-stress handling techniques while maintaining safety for staff and animals.
- Recognize signs of illness, pain, stress, fear, aggression, and behavioral deterioration.
- Maintain appropriate housing assignments, tech feeding plans, and medical signage for each animal.
Shelter Operations
- Initiate placement pathways by coordinating with adoption, foster, rescue, and behavior teams to expedite positive outcomes.
- Maintain accurate medical records, treatment logs, controlled substance records, and shelter database entries.
- Ensure compliance with veterinary regulations and state laws regarding controlled substances.
- Maintain a clean and sanitary work environment, kennels, cages, equipment, and medical spaces according to shelter protocols.
- Perform humane euthanasia in accordance with BARCS policies and accepted veterinary standards.
Client Services & Community Support
- Provide compassionate, respectful customer service to pet owners, adopters, fosters, volunteers, and the public.
- Conduct medical intake prevention and surrender appointments with professionalism and empathy.
- Educate pet owners on medical care, behavior concerns, and available community resources to support pet retention whenever appropriate.
- Gather detailed medical histories to assist in treatment planning and successful rehoming when appropriate.
Teamwork & Communication
- Maintain effective communication with all staff, volunteers, and guests.
- Foster a positive, collaborative, and respectful work environment.
- Perform additional duties as assigned by supervisors or leadership.
Qualifications:
- Registered Veterinary Technician preferred but not required with equivalent experience.
- Minimum two years of experience in a veterinary hospital, emergency clinic, animal shelter, or similar environment.
- Demonstrated proficiency in: Safe animal restraint and handling, medication administration, blood collection, vaccine administration, medical treatments, accurate medical recordkeeping and data entry.
- Must demonstrate being efficient and effective in math, writing, and data entry.
- Humane euthanasia certification preferred; training available for qualified candidates.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule including weekends, holidays, and rotating on-call responsibilities.
Knowledge and Skills:
- Advanced animal handling skills with dogs, cats, wildlife, and other companion animal species.
- Ability to safely manage fearful, aggressive, fractious, or behaviorally compromised animals.
- Knowledge of animal behavior, body language, and stress reduction techniques.
- Strong medical assessment and observational skills.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and perform duties efficiently and effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to work independently while contributing positively to a collaborative team.
- Commitment to compassionate, nonjudgmental customer service.
- Dedication to BARCS' mission of providing exceptional animal welfare and lifesaving care.
Work Conditions:
Work is performed in an animal shelter that operates seven days a week, with exposure to conditions such as dust, wetness, odors, high noise levels, etc. Work requires physical exertion such as, but not limited to, standing most of the day, bending often to interact with animals, lifting animals of all shapes and sizes with an average weight of 50 pounds, lifting bags of litter and food, etc. There is exposure to animals of all kinds including domestic, wildlife, and farm animals. There is potential exposure to: sharp objects, cleaning agents, animal waste, zoonotic diseases, dangerous or fractious animals, and potentially hazardous conditions including the risk of animal scratches and bites. There is also exposure to friendly, loving animals in need of your affection.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $21.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
