Foster Veterinary Assistant

KITSAP Humane Society•Silverdale, WA

7d•$18•Onsite

About The Position

The Kitsap Humane Society (KHS) is a progressive animal welfare shelter whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome homeless animals. We are committed to an open admissions policy, animal rehabilitation and a low euthanasia rate. Job Summary The Foster Vet Assistant assists the Foster Manager in caring for the animals in the shelter awaiting foster placement and providing support for animals that are in foster care. We are seeking a Foster Vet Assistant who has experience working in the veterinary field, as one of the main priorities of the Foster Vet Assistant will be to oversee email and physical rechecks for the veterinary team for patients in foster care needing medical support. The Foster Vet Assistant should have experience and be comfortable dealing with critical care cases, including animals with severe injury or illness, neonatal kittens and puppies with or without moms, kittens and puppies in need of bottle and/or tube feeding, etc. The Foster Vet Assistant must be compassionate, empathetic, and resilient when dealing with critical cases, especially those that do not have a positive outcome.

Requirements

One year experience working hands-on in the veterinary field or other applicable training/experience
One year experience working in customer service
One year experience working with domestic animals under 4 weeks old
Must complete a pre-employment criminal record background check
Be hard working and efficient, and have extremely strong time-management skills
Be well-organized, attentive to detail, and able to multi-task in a busy, high-stress environment
Have experience and confidence in handling cats, dogs, and other domestic animals of all ages, sizes, breeds, behaviors and temperaments
Have experience administering vaccinations and microchips as well as performing other basic medical assessments, procedures and treatments
Be computer literate (including Microsoft Office suite), social media savvy, and adept with mobile technology
Have strong writing skills
Be a team player and able to work collaboratively and productively with volunteers, peers and other KHS staff
Be able to communicate respectfully and effectively with people of all backgrounds and personalities
Be flexible around our scheduling needs and be available at irregular hours, including occasional early mornings and late nights
Be positive and open minded towards progressive animal welfare strategies and policies
Be understanding of the need for and comfort with euthanasia
Ability to on occasion lift up to 50 pounds
Bending at the waist, sitting, kneeling, crouching, walking, etc., as job may require
Have a valid WA driver’s license and clean driving record
Work environment may involve exposure to inclement weather, odors and/or loud noises, as well as the presence of restrained domestic animals

Responsibilities

Cleaning kennels in holding areas to ensure proper sanitation procedures and prevent disease transmission
Sending foster requests for animals in need of foster
Maintaining foster program tracking and communication systems
Coordinating foster pickup of animals going to foster, including gathering necessary paperwork and supplies
Coordinating foster return for spay/neuter surgery and adoption placement, including setting up kennels for animals returning from foster and preparing necessary paperwork
Tracking communication with foster parents in a clear way that is accessible to all foster team members
Responding to general foster inquiries and program applications
Addressing foster parent concerns with compassion and empathy
Ensuring the holding areas are clean and fully-stocked with supplies
Supporting Foster Manager with training volunteers and attending off-site events as needed
Other duties as assigned
Responding to foster parent emails, texts, and phone calls
Triaging and scheduling veterinary checks for foster animals around foster parent and veterinarian availability
Coordinating appointments for vaccines and sending reminders via email to foster families
Liaising with vet services on cases, advice, and next steps
Performing email rechecks for animals in foster under vet care, communicating medical updates to the veterinary team
Tracking and administering vaccines and boosters for foster animals
Keeping up to date and detailed records of conversations/emails/rechecks for each patient for communication to the vet team
Leading physical rechecks of foster animals including recording details from the foster parent, performing the physical exam, conferring with shelter veterinarians, taking medical notes during the exam, communicating medical information to foster parent
Copying and filing completed treatment sheets for each patient
Administering medications and fluids to patients in foster care and preparing medications for foster parents
Caring for critical animals awaiting foster, including bottle or tube feeding neonatal kittens and puppies without moms
Performing visual exams of foster animals and administering microchips in preparation for adoption
Running and reading fecal exams for fosters
Running and reading snap test results for diseases including parvovirus and panleukopenia
Other duties as assigned