Veterinary Assistant

Veterinary Assistant

Heather Ridge Pet Hospital is a well-established, five-doctor small animal practice serving the Sioux Falls community. In addition to comprehensive general practice care, we offer walk-in urgent care Monday through Thursday to help pets and their families when unexpected illnesses and injuries arise. Our team values collaboration, open communication, continued learning, and compassionate care, and we strive to create an environment where team members feel supported while doing meaningful work. Our culture is grounded in dependability, relationships, happiness, honesty, empathy, and education.

The Veterinary Assistant is a flexible, cross-functional member of the hospital team who supports patient care, client service, and daily operations wherever the need is greatest. This role combines essential hospital cleaning and readiness responsibilities with safe patient restraint, exam-room support, client checkout, phone assistance, and other appropriately delegated tasks. The assistant helps the hospital remain clean, organized, welcoming, and efficient while supporting technicians, veterinarians, client service representatives, patients, and clients throughout the day.

· Dependability: Arrives prepared and on time, completes assigned cleaning and support duties, communicates changing priorities, and follows through without repeated reminders.

· Relationships: Builds trust with clients and teammates through respectful communication, collaboration, and a willingness to help wherever needed.

· Happiness: Contributes a positive, solutions-focused attitude and helps create a welcoming environment even during busy or stressful periods.

· Honesty: Communicates openly, handles payments and information accurately, acknowledges concerns or errors promptly, and acts with integrity.

· Empathy: Recognizes that patients, clients, and coworkers may be fearful, worried, or overwhelmed and responds with patience, compassion, and respect.

· Education: Actively develops animal-handling, client-service, safety, and hospital-support skills and seeks direction when a task is outside current training or authority.

Hospital Cleanliness, Safety, and Readiness

· Clean and disinfect exam rooms, treatment spaces, kennels, common areas, restrooms, and other assigned hospital spaces according to established protocols.

· Turn over exam rooms promptly between appointments and ensure rooms are clean, stocked, and ready for the next patient.

· Complete laundry, dishes, trash removal, sweeping, mopping, and assigned daily or periodic cleaning duties.

· Restock supplies before they are depleted and promptly report safety hazards, damaged equipment, maintenance concerns, or supply shortages.

· Follow infection-control, personal protective equipment, sharps, chemical-handling, and waste-disposal procedures.

Patient Care and Veterinary Team Support

· Assist veterinarians and veterinary technicians with safe, compassionate patient handling and restraint within demonstrated training and hospital protocols.

· Help weigh and transport patients, prepare rooms, and gather routine supplies for appointments, treatments, or procedures as directed.

· Provide assigned comfort and husbandry support, such as clean bedding, water, walks, and maintaining clean patient areas.

· Observe patients during assigned tasks and promptly report changes, concerns, stress signals, or safety risks to a technician or veterinarian.

· Complete non-licensed, appropriately delegated tasks only after training and demonstrated competency; pause and seek direction when unsure.

Client Communication and Service

· Greet clients warmly, help direct them through the hospital, and maintain a clean and welcoming lobby and client service area.

· Answer incoming calls, place callers on hold appropriately, take accurate messages, and route questions according to hospital procedures.

· Assist with checkout, payment collection, scheduling, and other routine front-desk duties after training.

· Provide approved workflow or wait-time updates and involve a client service representative, technician, veterinarian, or leader when questions exceed the role's training or authority.

· Protect client and patient confidentiality and handle sensitive interactions professionally.

Teamwork and Hospital Flow

· Float among clinical, client service, and hospital-support areas based on patient volume, staffing, and direction from hospital leadership.

· Regularly scan the hospital for unmet needs, prioritize appropriately, and either address the need or communicate it to the correct team member.

· Transition between assignments as priorities change while tracking incomplete work and communicating task status, barriers, and urgent needs.

· Assist with opening, closing, restocking, and end-of-shift handoffs so unfinished tasks or unresolved needs are clearly communicated.

· Work within applicable law, hospital policy, completed training, demonstrated competency, and appropriate supervision; do not independently diagnose, prescribe, create treatment plans, provide medical advice, or perform restricted technical procedures.

Professional Development

· Maintain required competencies and continue developing animal-handling, safety, client-service, and hospital-support skills through training and hands-on learning.

· Participate in team meetings and training, receive feedback constructively, and support hospital goals, standards, and philosophy.

· High school diploma or equivalent preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

· Experience in veterinary medicine, animal care, customer service, healthcare, hospitality, or environmental services is helpful but not required.

· Willingness and ability to perform cleaning, laundry, restocking, and facility-support duties throughout each shift.

· Ability to recognize needs, prioritize competing tasks, adjust to changing workflow, remain calm under pressure, and seek direction appropriately.

· Strong verbal communication, listening, and customer-service skills with the ability to interact respectfully with clients and team members.

· Ability to learn hospital software, phone systems, payment procedures, animal-handling practices, and safety protocols.

· Ability to work a varied schedule based on hospital needs, which may include opening, closing, or evening coverage. This role is expected to have rotating weekend coverage.

· Ability to lift and handle animals or objects up to 45 pounds independently and request assistance or use appropriate equipment for heavier patients or loads.

· Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, twist, type, clean, and perform tasks requiring manual dexterity for extended periods.

· Frequent exposure to animals that may be painful, fearful, unpredictable, or aggressive; zoonotic and infectious diseases; bodily fluids; noise; odors; disinfectants; sharp objects; and hazardous materials.

· Ability to manage emotionally difficult situations, fluctuating workload, and time-sensitive needs while maintaining safety, accuracy, empathy, and professionalism.

This description reflects the primary responsibilities of the position but is not intended to list every duty. Responsibilities may change based on patient needs, staffing, hospital operations, and the employee's training and legal scope of practice.