•The Animal Rescue League of Berks County recognizes the importance of taking care of the talented and compassionate individuals who work hard to help the animals in our community. Therefore, we offer a robust compensation and benefit package for the experienced professional.
•Salary is negotiable and within industry standards for qualified veterinarians. In addition, the successful candidate may be eligible for additional bonuses or relocation allowances.
•Malpractice insurance, state and DEA licensing reimbursement, professional association dues paid
•Education opportunities such as CE reimbursement and HVHQSN training via the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance for qualifying vets
•Housing stipend for non-local applicants for the first year of service with a two-year agreement
•Medical, prescription, vision, and dental insurance
•4 weeks Paid Time off, 7 Paid holidays
•Simple IRA plan with matching funds, free life insurance plan, credit union, AT&T phone plan, Employee Assistance Program
•Public Service Loan Forgiveness Complaint 501c3 organization
Additional Information:
2 openings available.
The Animal Rescue League of Berks County is seeking a Full-Time (but open to considering Part-Time) Shelter and HVHQSN Veterinarian to complete medical and surgical services to the animals in our care as well as to animals in the community. Our organization consistently achieves a 95% save rate for dogs and an 87% for cats. We are adding additional programming for our Community Cats this year to help with the overpopulation and increase the number of live outcomes. In 2021, we welcomed over 5300 animals into our shelter and over 3800 publicly owned animals in our Medical Center. This opportunity will oversee high volume, high quality spay & neuter for cats as dogs in our community through low-cost services at our Medical Center and will also assist with shelter animals. A successful candidate will follow our mission and be a good fit with our culture to ensure each animal has the best opportunity to live a pain free and heathy life within and beyond our shelter walls.
Work Environment:
The employee will regularly be exposed to the following: potentially zoonotic diseases (including rabies), large animals, wildlife, loud noises (e.g. barking dogs), and odors
Examination, restraint, and treatment of a high volume of animals is physically and emotionally demanding
Euthanasia is performed in the facility and assisting with best practice euthanasia is a specific job task for this position
Surgery and Medical Facilities of Note:
Two-table surgery suite with heated hydraulic surgery tables, oxygen concentrators and wet table for dental procedures
Digital Radiographs
Dental Radiographs
Butterfly IQ Portable Ultrasound
In-House Chemistry Blood Analyzer
In-House T4/cortisol Analyzer
Medical and Surgical Care:
Provide leadership and direction for the daily medical and surgical care of animals.
Triage and stabilize ill and injured animals and diagnose and treat a wide variety of medical conditions with a particular focus on infectious diseases.
Serve as internal expert at disease recognition and develop treatment plans for the animals.
Assist with development and implementation of disease prevention programs both in the shelter and Medical Center.
Interpretation of laboratory data and radiographs
Discuss medical findings/recommendations with staff in a manner that fosters common understanding of medical terminology and allows easy communication with the public regarding an animal’s medical history
Recognition and documentation of cruelty cases, including preparation of veterinary statements and expert witness testimony
Monitor patients and multi-task veterinary requests made by other departments.
Administration and monitoring of anesthesia
Handle a wide variety of animals effectively and in a humane manner including but not limited to cats, dogs, and small animals
Treat animals with care and respect, providing compassionate, low-stress patient care to all patients utilizing Fear Free guidelines
Oversee all aspects of veterinary care including physical examination, diagnostics, treatment recommendations and delivery, prescriptions, and discharge information
Provide compassionate high-quality preventive and primary medical and surgical care to patients
Perform high volume spay/neuter, comfortable with pediatric procedures
Perform additional non-spay or neuter surgeries as required including, but not limited to dentistry, soft tissue (e.g., enucleation, foreign body removal), and orthopedic surgery (e.g., limb amputation, FHO)
Assist in placement and euthanasia decisions when needed
Necropsy examinations of deceased animals when required
Direct medical technicians and assistants in the daily performance of their duties
Employ exceptional time management skills when in appointments and surgery
Customer Service:
Communicate respectfully with clients and be able to relay important medical information about patients within a timely manner
Discuss examination and medical test results with owners in order to allow owners to make informed choices for the medical care of their pets.
Counsel owners about end of life and other sensitive medical care decisions when needed
Represent the ARL in a professional and courteous manner at all times
Follow all written and verbally communicated departmental Standard Operating Procedures.
Interact effectively and politely with a variety of people in all types of situations.
Evaluate problems accurately and display good, sound judgment when working without supervision and under emotional stress.
Work effectively, both independently and in a team environment, in an atmosphere of multiple projects, shifting priorities, and deadline pressures.
Present a neat, clean, and professional appearance, and wear a uniform while on duty.
Perform other duties as assigned
Administrative:
Document all exam findings, test results, and treatment recommendations on medical records prior to the end of each working shift
Communicate effectively and appropriately cross-departmentally
Oversee controlled substances use and logging with the assistance of the medical leads
Keep current in the veterinary field (read journals and attends seminars) and maintain awareness of new products and pharmaceuticals.
Skills and Requirements:
DVM, VMD, or equivalent degree
DEA license, or ability to obtain DEA license
Licensure in PA to practice veterinary medicine
USDA Accreditation preferred or willingness to become accredited
Set the tone for professionalism and performance expectations within Medical Department
Convey ideas, concepts, policies, and procedures to staff, as well as ensuring their understanding and compliance
Stay up to date on the most current shelter medicine protocols recommended by UC Davis
Must have a passion for the mission of ARL
Previous clinical experience, particularly in shelters, preferred but not required
Strong surgical and diagnostic skills
Interest in and understanding of shelter medicine, epidemiology, and herd health
Good written and oral communication skills
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills, able to multi-task and prioritize
Dependable, reliable, and efficient
Must have a valid PA driver’s license
Must be able to lift at least 50 pounds, stand for prolonged periods of time, and perform multiple surgeries on a daily basis
Basic familiarity with computers, MS Office and database experience
The Animal Rescue League of Berks County is a charitable 501(c)3 organization caring for over 5,000 animals each year to help them find second chances in a new home or to help reunite them with their grateful owners. For near 70 years, we’ve worked tirelessly to care for the sick, treat the injured, comfort the unwanted, and protect the abused. We also offer human-animal support resources, low-cost veterinary services, animal control programs, and animal cruelty and humane law investigation throughout Berks County, Pennsylvania.
We protect animals, provide a safe haven and promote innovative programs and services to help both people and animals in need throughout Berks County.
Our vision is a world where people are empowered to respect and care for all animals with love and kindness.
Working at the ARL requires a positive attitude and high emotional intelligence. We have an inclusive, mission-driven, people-first culture of compassion in adherence with our organizational values that include:
Striving for excellence • Leading by example both professionally and in our everyday lives • Caring and supporting one another • Showing gratitude and appreciation • Acting with a solutions...-oriented focus to continually learn and improve • Open to change and seeking new ideas • Assuming good intentions • Holding each other accountable • Working with a sense of urgency • Paying attention to details • Embracing diversity
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