VETERINARY TECHNICIAN 1

City of Toronto•Toronto, ON

19d•Onsite

About The Position

The Municipal Licensing & Standards Division supports the City of Toronto as a safe, vibrant, creative and clean community by providing bylaw administration and enforcement services, primarily in three main areas: business licensing, enforcement and permitting; property enforcement; and animal care and enforcement. Reporting to the Manager, Animal Services, the Veterinary Technician 1 will provide work direction and guidance to the Veterinary Technician 2 staff to meet clinic, shelter and capacity for care standards. The Veterinary Technician 1 monitors the clinic/shelter operations' daily activities, oversee and participate in daily care of animals at the clinics and shelter. Also, to assist and perform treatments, surgical and dental procedures, including dental x-rays and to keep the veterinarian and/or manager informed of any issues.

Requirements

Post-secondary education from an Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians accredited college program such as Animal Health Technology or Veterinary Technology.
Extensive experience providing direct animal care and animal husbandry, working in an animal shelter environment.
Experience in the use of a computerized data and records management system (e.g. Chameleon) and standard PC applications (e.g. Word, Email and Excel)
Must have designation of Registered status and be a member in good standing with the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians.
Must possess or be able to obtain and maintain a valid Province of Ontario, Class "D" Driver's License and must qualify for the City's equipment operating permits and requirements. The "D" License must be obtained by the time of job offer.
Required to be immunized against rabies and have a bi-yearly titre to determine immunity level and if needed, receive booster vaccinations.
Good physical condition, agility, and strength, including ability to stand for long period of time while monitoring, prepping, cleaning and feeding animals, managing and lifting animals, including large dogs and heavy articles (weighing up to 25 kgs).
Ability to work rotating shifts (day, afternoon, night, weekend and holidays) and standby as required. May be required to do shift/overtime and weekend work in conformance with the Collective Agreement.
Knowledge and understanding of working in high quality-high volume spay-neuter clinics.
Ability to orient and train new staff, provide work direction, training, coaching/mentoring to others, overseeing work performed by staff and demonstrating leadership skills.
Ability to research, develop & deliver educational programs.
Ability working in a customer service environment with excellent interpersonal, problem solving and conflict management skills, dealing effectively with all levels of staff, the public and external contacts in person, by telephone and in writing.
Ability to handle and facilitate escalated issues and/or disputes with members of the public and utilize mediation or escalated tactics to successfully resolve conflicts.
A strong understanding of animal behaviour, and the ability to handle a wide variety of animals (domestic and wildlife); including injured and possibly dangerous animals, utilizing humane tools, equipment and positive reinforcement techniques in training of shelter animals.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task to effectively carry out the various duties and responsibilities of this position in a highly demanding work environment with minimal supervision and direction. Ability to take initiative, show good judgement in decision making, and work well under time constraints.
Ability to work on TAS SNYP Mobile Clinic.
Ability to develop and maintain productive working relationships with employees and management, promote a positive work environment, and handle staff conflict.
Excellent and effective, verbal and written communication skills.
A good understanding of Animal Services programs, regulations and legislation pertaining to animals (i.e. Municipal Code Chapter 349, Dog Owners' Liability Act, Canadian Council of Animal Care (CCAC) guidelines, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) regulations and the Canadian Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, etc.)
Thorough understanding of issues affecting Toronto residents, businesses and visitors
Must be familiar with requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations for the safe performance of his/her duties and responsibilities or capable of obtaining familiarity of same.
Ability to use or learn to use various technical devices related to the position.
Able to work outdoors in all weather conditions and in exposure to unpleasant odors, noise, dander and animal feces.

Responsibilities

Organizes and directs the daily clinic/shelter operations' activities.
Monitors activities to ensure all scheduled treatments are performed and keeps veterinarian/manager informed.
Oversees and participates in daily care of animals including feeding, watering, grooming and maintaining sanitary conditions in the clinic/shelter.
Assigns work, trains, instructs, and provides direction to staff in clinic/shelter operations in accordance with polices/procedures while providing updates to veterinarian or manager.
Assists veterinarians and performs treatments, surgical and dental procedures, including dental x-rays.
Coordinates and/or participates in events, projects, outreach (i.e. Priority Neighbourhoods), volunteer and foster programs related to Animal Services.
Calculates dosages and administers anesthesia to surgical patients per anesthetic protocol, under direction of attending veterinarian.
Triages patients/animals as they are admitted to the clinic/shelter using humane handling and restraint techniques on all patients/animals.
Coordinates pickup and delivery of animals to/from external veterinary clinics.
Oversees and participates in physical and behavioural assessments of animals.
Performs cursory examinations on animals upon intake.
Identifies and reports animal health concerns to attending veterinarian or manager.
Monitors patients/animals especially during anesthesia and recovery and when receiving treatment due to illness or injury.
Inputs and maintains accurate patient/animal records, and all necessary drug and surgery logs in accordance with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) regulations and division/section policies and procedures, including Driver's Collision/Incident Report.
Obtains identification information by examining animals and records information including breed, sex, age, markings etc. into the database.
Maintains, operates, and monitors work location equipment such as industrial dish washer, anesthetic machine and a pathological incinerator to ensure they are in a state of good repair and addresses operation maintenance deficiencies; conducts inventory reviews of medical and surgical supplies and other assets records and places orders as required.
Maintains current in knowledge of emergency drugs and protocol.
Administers vaccinations, diagnostic tests, medications and treatments to patients/animals and or humane euthanasia as directed by attending veterinarian.
Collects and prepares biological samples, such as blood, feces, urine and hair/skin specimens, for external laboratory testing, culture or microscopic examination.
Performs routine internal laboratory procedures such as fecal floatation exams and skin scraping, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems.
Instructs and trains all staff and volunteers in clinic/shelter operations in accordance with policies/procedures while maintaining a positive team environment; and provides updates on work performed to veterinarian or shelter supervisor.
Reports problems to veterinarian or manager as per policies and standard operating procedures.
Assists in the development of operating policies and procedures.
Provides in-person, telephone and email client services and answers questions to ensure good customer service to members of the public, community partners and other staff.
Completes written reports and forms as required, including providing statistical information concerning tasks completed, staff issues, accident/incident reports, etc.
Promotes responsible pet ownership through the delivery of Animal Services programs and initiatives.
Provides assistance to associate staff and volunteers to promote the development of skills.
Follows health and safety regulations and protocols to ensure all equipment and work areas are maintained to the highest standard of cleanliness and sanitation.
Follows policies and procedures to ensure quality service to clients.
Collaborates with volunteers and staff to encourage a team environment.
Maintains City records and other information in the appropriate data management systems while maintaining confidentiality related to personal information and Animal Services.
Attends training relevant to the job duties.
Provides services including animal intake, claims, searches, adoptions, registrations, etc., including handling of receipt transactions.
Prepares and reviews all invoices to ensure they are correct and posted as per standard operating procedures.
Drives mobile clinic, as required, to perform duties at various sites.
Performs work and represents the division/section in a safe, efficient, and courteous manner.