Shelter Veterinarian

Animal Rescue League Of Iowa • Des Moines, IA

10d • Onsite

About The Position

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is seeking a compassionate and skilled Shelter Veterinarian to join our veterinary medical team. This role is ideal for a veterinarian who wants to use their clinical skills in a mission-driven environment where each day brings variety, collaboration, and the opportunity to improve outcomes for animals in need. As a Shelter Veterinarian, you will provide medical and surgical care for animals throughout the ARL’s shelter programs. From routine wellness and population health to illness, injury, surgery, and complex medical cases, your work will directly support the health, comfort, recovery, and placement of animals in the ARL’s care. You will work alongside experienced veterinary professionals, animal care teams, foster staff, behavior teams, and other shelter professionals to make thoughtful medical decisions while balancing individual patient needs with the broader needs of a dynamic shelter population.

Requirements

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, DVM or equivalent, from an accredited veterinary school required.
• Active Iowa veterinary license in good standing, or ability to obtain licensure prior to employment, required.
• Strong medical judgment and commitment to compassionate, high-quality patient care.
• Ability to make timely and thoughtful medical decisions in a fast-moving shelter environment.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work effectively with veterinarians, veterinary support staff, animal care teams, leadership, and other departments.
• Comfort working with animals of varying species, sizes, medical conditions, behaviors, and backgrounds.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with surgery, shelter medicine, high-quality high-volume spay/neuter, emergency medicine, general practice, or population health preferred.
• Interest in shelter medicine and animal welfare strongly encouraged.
• Experienced veterinarians and veterinarians newer to shelter medicine are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality medical care for animals in the custody and care of the ARL.
• Perform physical examinations, diagnose medical conditions, develop treatment plans, and prescribe medications.
• Perform spay/neuter and other surgical procedures based on experience, training, and organizational needs.
• Evaluate and treat illnesses, injuries, infectious diseases, chronic medical conditions, and other shelter-related medical concerns.
• Support preventative medicine, vaccination, parasite control, infectious disease prevention, and population health initiatives.
• Make thoughtful medical recommendations regarding treatment, quality of life, prognosis, and ongoing care.
• Work collaboratively with veterinarians, veterinary technicians and assistants, animal care teams, behavior staff, foster teams, and other departments.
• Provide medical guidance and education to team members involved in the daily care and monitoring of animals.
• Maintain accurate and timely medical records and follow established medical protocols.
• Participate in case discussions and help develop practical solutions for complex medical and shelter population challenges.
• Contribute to a supportive, collaborative, and learning-focused veterinary culture.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer-paid long-term disability and basic life insurance
• Supplemental insurances, including short-term disability, supplemental life insurance, accident, and critical illness insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with an employer contribution
• Veterinary benefits
• Work-life balance through our expansive holiday and paid time off policies
• Potential student loan reimbursement opportunities
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility
• Market-competitive compensation without the stress of production-based compensation measures

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level