Shelter Veterinarian

Shelter Veterinarian

The Animal Services Department seeks a Shelter Veterinarian (Veterinary Surgeon) for the Jurupa, San Jacinto, and Thousand Palms locations. This position will perform a wide range of duties including spay/neuter responsibilities in a clinic/mobile environment, performance of various other small animal surgeries, and provision of medical oversight of impounded animals. The most competitive candidates will have shelter medicine and high volume spay/neuter experience (training available for motivated candidates with interest in this field). While the primary responsibility is the performance of sterilization surgeries (25-40/day) on shelter animals and privately owned pets, ample opportunity exists to perform other soft tissue or orthopedic surgical procedures to improve quality of life and adoptability of shelter animals. In addition to surgical responsibilities, candidate will perform examinations, develop, and oversee treatment plans and medical progress of sick and injured shelter animals. In addition, the Shelter Veterinarian oversees a team of registered veterinary technicians, animal care staff and clerical support personnel as their duties relate to contagious disease control, medical care and the general well-being of individual animals and the shelter population as a whole. Our compassionate, hard-working team cares for more than 40,000 animals per year within the 4th most populous county in the State of California. If you are a licensed veterinarian and meet the minimum qualifications, we want you to apply. The benefits of this position are many which include: a wide scope of responsibilities allowing you to grow as a professional, regular business hours, no emergency or evening work, excellent pay and benefits, a defined pension plan, generous annual vacation accrual, paid holidays, and life insurance. This is a unique opportunity to join a dedicated team of animal care professionals and allow the selected candidate to take their career to the next level. This class has been designated At-Will by the Board of Supervisors, in accordance with the provisions provided under Article 6, Section 601E (8) of the County Management Resolution and serves at the pleasure of the Department Head.

Examples Of Essential Duties

Perform physical examinations, preventive care, diagnostics, and treatments on a variety of animal species. Using appropriate medical equipment, perform sterilization and other surgeries as necessary on animals; administer anesthesia and/ or other medications as needed. Perform immunizations on animals for purpose of disease control. Perform post-mortem exams on a variety of animals in order to make a diagnosis and/or document pathological findings for animal cruelty cases and to ensure community health. Maintain control of medicinal and surgical supplies. Ensure through subordinate staff all office equipment and miscellaneous supplies required for clinic activities are maintained at an adequate level and that requisitions are prepared and submitted through appropriate channels as necessary. Supervise employees to ensure clinic work is adequately performed; instruct, train and advise paraprofessional staff in the proper care and treatment of animals including the euthanasia of dogs, cats, birds and livestock. Assign and review work of subordinate staff; respond to inquiries from the public and department employees relative to the health and medical conditions of impounded animals. Maintain detailed and accurate medical records on individual animals; prepare reports and compose correspondence.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Graduation from an accredited school of veterinary medicine with a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

Knowledge of: The principles and practices of modern veterinary medicine, particularly as they relate to the treatment of small animals like dogs and cats; the methods of examining and preparing animals for surgery and of testing and treating them for disease; the laws and regulations governing licensing, quarantine, impounding and care and treatment of animals.

Ability to: Administer medical treatment to and perform surgery on animals; diagnose diseases among animals; deal tactfully and effectively with the public; prepare correspondence, records and reports as necessary.

Physical exposures: This position may require working in an environment with exposure to animal smells, dander, excrement, fluids/wounds, and aggressive animals. The Veterinary Surgeon may assist with euthanasia of animals and/or lifting of animals for disposal and impounding.

License: A valid license to practice veterinary medicine in the State of California. (An applicant lacking a valid license to practice veterinary medicine in the State of California may be appointed provided he/she acquires the license within 12 months from date of hire.)

Possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Supplemental Information

Application Status: How to confirm your application was received or check on the status of your application, log-in to click on your name in the upper right corner, and click on "Applications & Status." Sign Up for Job Alerts: Go to click on "Careers," click on "County Job Openings," and click on "Subscribe to Job Alerts" icon. For questions regarding this recruitment: Contact Amanda Campos at View phone number on click.appcast.io or View email address on click.appcast.io . Please allow 1-2 business days for a response to general inquiries.

Benefits

Benefit Program: MCU

MEDICAL/DENTAL INSURANCE: A Flexible Benefit Credit is provided on a monthly basis as governed by the Management Resolution or applicable bargaining unit. Vision coverage is provided through Vision Service Plan (VSP) at no cost to employee or eligible dependents. Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here.

Miscellaneous Retirement: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

• Tier I (Classic Member Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.
• Tier II (Classic Member Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.
• Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. Effective July 1, 2023 employee contributions are 7.25% and will increase to 7.75% effective July 1, 2024.

A new member is defined as any of the following:

1. A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who has no prior membership in any California Public Retirement System.
2. A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who was a member with another California Public Retirement System prior to that date, but who is not subject to reciprocity upon joining CalPERS.
3. A member who first established CalPERS membership prior to January 1, 2013, and who is rehired by a different CalPERS agency after a break in service of greater than six (6) months.

CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".

Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.

Note:

This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to View email address on click.appcast.io or by calling the Benefits Information Line at View phone number on click.appcast.io, Option 2.

If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at View phone number on click.appcast.io to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options. 401(a) MONEY PURCHASE PLAN: County contribution of $50 per pay period towards choice between two 401(a) plan providers. ANNUAL LEAVE (Bi-Weekly Acc

Riverside County, CA