Veterinarian

Salary : $95,794.27 - $134,792.15 Annually
Location : Sacramento, CA
Job Type: Full-Time Career
Job Number: 001875-26-CDD
Department: Community Development
Division: Animal Care/Shelter
Opening Date: 04/14/2026
Closing Date: Continuous


THE POSITION
THIS POSTING WILL BE OPEN UNTIL FILLED
Application cut - off dates are the second and fourth Friday of each month.
Under limited direction, the Veterinarian is responsible for all medical treatments and surgical services performed at the City's Animal Care Services shelter; provides medical care and treatment of impounded animals; trains and oversees the work of non-professional staff who assist with animal health or euthanasia procedures; represents the City on the care and treatment of animals and pets.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is a single position management classification in the Animal Services Division of the General Services Department. The Veterinarian classification is distinguished from the Animal Care Services Manager, in that the latter has significant authority for various administrative and managerial operations within the Animal Care Services division, and is not responsible to possess specialized knowledge in order to examine, diagnose, and prescribe medical or surgical treatment for any ill or injured animals at the shelter.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Limited direction is received from the Animal Care Services Manager. Responsibilities include direct and indirect supervision of supervisory, technical, and support personnel. Responsibilities include direct supervision over Registered Veterinarian Technicians and indirect supervision of Animal Care Technicians.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES


- Examine, diagnose, and perform routine and emergency medical treatment of all impounded animals; vaccinate animals against Rabies, Distemper, Parvo, Upper Respiratory Infection, and other diseases common to canines, felines, and other animals commonly found in shelters; perform spay/neutering surgery on animals prior to adoption; examine animals prior to adoption and before release to ensure health condition.
- Regularly review medical condition of animals quarantined at the animal shelter; provide follow-up treatment to injured animals as necessary; perform euthanasia of designated animals.
- Provide ongoing training for staff throughout the division to rapidly identify animals requiring isolation or veterinary care; train and supervise non-professional staff performing or assisting with veterinary duties or medical procedures.
- Recommend and draft policies and guidelines for the animal health program for the animal shelter, as assigned; develop protocols for handling ill and injured animals in the shelter.
- Supervise the visual monitoring on a daily basis of impounded animals, including those that may be isolated or quarantined for signs of illness or unusual behavior; assure that problems are promptly reported; determine and direct appropriate action as required.
- Supervise the use of immobilization capture drugs; oversee use of drugs used for euthanasia; oversee the ordering and maintaining of supplies and equipment.
- Review animal bites and exposure reports concerned with rabies and other diseases; contact citizens and officers involved and direct follow-up procedures; may assist field officers with cruelty investigations or rescues where medical intervention is necessary.
- Respond to inquiries from the public; maintain effective community relations; participate in special community events; advise/explain proper medical care and treatment of animals and pets; perform studies; prepare reports and maintain records; prepare press releases and respond to inquiries from the press.
- Assign, train, direct, and evaluate staff; provide professional and technical guidance to staff; oversee and implement disciplinary actions as necessary.
- Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual.

QUALIFICATIONS


Knowledge of:

- Surgical procedures for spaying and neutering canines, felines, and other common shelter animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.
- Shelter medicine and best practices.
- Standard guidelines of the veterinary professional that are used in the State of California.
- Knowledge of modern techniques for treating various animals for common diseases and injuries.
- Laws, codes, regulations and policies affecting the department's operations and programs.
- Quality assurance procedures and techniques.
- Training principles, practices and techniques.
- Principles and practices of leadership and conflict resolution.

Skill in:

- Addressing community groups, panels and/or commissions.
- Using computers and computer applications and software.

Ability to:

- Decide whether to perform surgery based on the animals' health status.
- Understand, interpret and apply pertinent provisions of county, state and federal laws, rules, regulations and standards that affect the operation and administration of the shelter.
- Effectively provide training and instruction to non-professional staff personnel on a variety of medical techniques common to animal care.
- Analyze program needs and develop, recommend and implement operational procedures, policies and protocols.
- Analyze situations and take appropriate action; reach sound conclusions.
- Surgically alter with RVT support a minimum of 14 animals within a 4 hours block of time.
- Establish and maintain cooperative relations and deal effectively and tactfully with citizens and staff.
- Prepare clear, complete and technically accurate reports.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Any combination of education and experience that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:

Two years of recent experience in veterinary medicine. Supervision of staff, program responsibility, and previous experience in animal shelter medicine are highly desirable.

Education:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
PROOF OF EDUCATION
Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.
An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.
SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

License:

A current license to practice veterinary medicine in the State of California.
PROOF OF CERTIFICATION
Proof of the required certificate and/or license should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.
Additional Requirement:

Incumbents in this class may need to work weekends, holidays, nights, and respond to emergency animal services assignments during off duty hours.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE
Please note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.

1. Application: (Pass/Fail) - All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application for further consideration by the next posted cut-off date;

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted.
• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified:
  • If applicants do not list current and past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).
  • If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section.
• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position.
• Proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted online with your application. Proof of education will be required at time of appointment.
• Proof of certification and/or license should be submitted online with your application. Proof of certification and/or license will be required at time of appointment

2. Supplemental Questionnaire: (Pass/Fail) - In addition to the City of Sacramento employment application, all applicants must complete and submit online responses to the supplemental questionnaire to the City of Sacramento Employment Office as part of the application process;

• Responses to the supplemental questionnaire must be submitted online; paper questionnaire will not be accepted.
• Incomplete supplemental questionnaire will not pass the review process; omitted information cannot be considered or assumed.
• A resume will not substitute for the information required in the supplemental questionnaire.
• Possession of the minimum qualifications is not necessarily a guarantee for further advancement in the selection process.

3. Screening Committee: (Pass/Fail) - All applications received will be forwarded to the hiring department for review until the position is filled. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.

4. Interview Process: Human Resources will forward applications to the hiring department. Those determined to be the most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in an interview process.

5. Conditional Hire: Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass LiveScan/fingerprinting. If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.

QUESTIONS: For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process.
• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Application Support at View phone number on click.appcast.io.
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at
• Send an email to View email address on click.appcast.io; or
• Call the Human Resources Department at View phone number on click.appcast.io

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information

Civil Service Rules:


Union Contracts:


Salary Schedule:
01



APPLICATION : I understand my application must meet the minimum qualifications for consideration of employment with the City of Sacramento. The experience I list in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section of the employment application will be used to determine if I meet the minimum qualifications as stated on the job announcement. A resume, responses to the supplemental questions requiring a narrative response, employment history listed elsewhere in the application or attachments will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section of the employment application. Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).Please refer to the City of Sacramento's Applicant Resources Page for Screening Instructions:

• Yes

02



PROOF OF EDUCATION: To qualify for this classification you may use any combination of education and/or experience as listed to provide required knowledge, skills, and abilities.I understand proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with my application and will be required at the time of appointment if I am using education to qualify for this position.Please refer to the City of Sacramento's Proof of Education Requirements ( for information on accepted documentation.

• Yes

03



EDUCATION CONFIRMATION: If I am using education to qualify for this position, I attest I possess or will possess the following level of education by time of appointment if I am selected for this position.

• No units from an accredited college or university
• Less than 30 semester or 45 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• 30 semester or 45 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• 60 semester or 90 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• Associates Degree
• 90 semester or 135 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• Bachelors Degree
• Masters Degree
• Doctorate

04



PROOF OF LICENSE: I understand proof of possession of a license, should be submitted with my application and will be required at the time of appointment.

• Yes

05



LICENSE CONFIRMATION: I attest I possess or will possess a current license to practice veterinary medicine in the State of California by the time of appointment if I am selected for this position.

• Yes
• No

Required Question