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Form of workJob Description
The Best Friend's Mission is to do nothing short of making history by bringing about a time when there are No More Homeless Pets. Our goal is that every animal shelter in every community in the country be no kill by the end of 2025. The fact is, we have a great culture, populated by fun, dedicated and brilliant people. But we’re always looking for talented people who can help us make history, and that’s where you come in. If you want to be a part of history and end the killing of shelter pets by 2025, apply today for one of our open job opportunities!
2 Locations:West Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley (2-3 days required in each facility)
Hiring Range: $26.00 per hour to $35.00 per hour, depending on experience.
Work Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday, 8 am to 5 pm or 7 am to 4 pm.
Manager interviews will occur weekly until the position is filled. (Recruiter phone screens will occur prior to these).
Position Summary:Veterinary Technicians provide high quality medical care for animals in Best Friends lifesaving and veterinary programs. They are responsible for daily medical activities and supporting Best Friends veterinarians. Veterinary technicians act with urgency to accomplish important tasks and play a direct role in achieving Best Friends Animal Society’s no-kill mission and organizational success. Technicians may receive intensive assignments in a particular program, based on organizational needs.
Culture Statement and Responsibility: We value attitude over aptitude, and we treat Kindness as a discipline because it is paramount in our culture along with our other Guiding Principles. Culture is how we talk to and treat ourselves and one another, it’s how we generate and respond to change, it’s how we plan and make decisions, it’s how we do what we do.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
· Demonstrate kindness and the Golden Rule in our everyday actions by practicing inclusion and respect for every person for the value they bring to the table. Be a role model for the spirit of authenticity, kindness and positive influence with each other, our visitors, and volunteers as well as to the animals every day. This includes listening, being present, being supportive of others and demonstrating compassion and curiosity in conflict.
· Perform basic medical care including but not limited to intravenous injections, blood draws, medicating, vaccinating, subcutaneous fluids, catheter placement, and microchipping under the direction of a veterinarian; have a comprehensive knowledge of sterile techniques, basic knowledge of surgical instruments, and general pharmacology, anesthesia monitoring, surgical induction and recovery; skilled understanding of humane restraint for medical procedures and emergency stabilization procedures.
· Maintain a clean and disinfected working environment, maintain controlled substances logs, accurately enter, and maintain patient and client medical data.
· Support, empower and enable volunteers and foster parents with the goal of utilizing volunteers to expand Best Friends lifesaving capacity; assist with client communications including aftercare and emergency support.
· Provide basic care such as feeding, cleaning, walking, and socialization for animals temporarily housed or transported within Lifesaving Center vehicles, buildings, or facilities.
· Deliver superior customer service; communicate (or develop communications) about and maintain knowledge of Best Friends and community partner programs.
· Work collaboratively with Best Friends’ team members in all areas of operations to achieve lifesaving goals; follow Best Friends policies, procedures, and task lists for daily lifesaving outcome assignments, including accurate and timely communications, work completion, data entry, and recordkeeping.
· Maintain a safe workplace, value, and model safe work practices, adhering to organizational safety practices and rules, and communicating to leadership about unsafe practices and conditions.
Skills and Experience:
· Graduate from an AVMA accredited Veterinary Technician certification program and licensed in good standing by the appropriate state authority where required.
· A minimum of one year working experience as a Veterinary Technician or equivalent work experience in an animal welfare or nonprofit setting preferred.
· Bilingual or multi-lingual skills preferred but not required.
· Customer-centric, non-judgmental approach to engaging with adopters, partners, visitors, volunteers, and colleagues; familiarity and comfort with a conversational adoption process.
· Ability to work with, leash, kennel, walk, and handle cats and dogs, including those with health and/or behavior conditions/concerns; basic ability to identify and speak to medical and behavioral characteristics of dogs and cats.
· Strong interpersonal skills, a team player, personable, professional, and able to get along with people from different backgrounds, as well as the ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
· Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with well-developed organization skills to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.
· Resourceful, get-it-done attitude; initiative to assist in any area or process; problem solving, seeking answers independently and enthusiastically; flexibility to persist until goals are achieved.
· Proficiency with Microsoft Office products; familiarity with shelter software/animal management software, or desire to learn.
Physical & Other Requirements:
· Must be able to:
o Routinely lift 40 pounds and perform daily strenuous activity including, but not limited to lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, squatting, cleaning, and bending.
o Perform repetitive tasks for extended periods of time including typing, sitting, walking, arm, and hand motion.
o Work indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat and cold.
· Exposure to dogs, cats and other animals of all sizes, temperaments, and medical status.
· Valid driver’s license, meeting Best Friends Animal Society’s driver qualification standards; ability to travel, including overnight stays, when needed.
· Daily hours and days of the week may vary according to the needs of the department schedule; position includes weekends, nights, and holiday work.
About Best Friends
Best Friends recently received a 2022 Top Workplaces USA award from Energage. Visit the Best Friends Animal Society page on the Energage Top Workplaces award winners’ site here to learn more. Not only do we take pride in cultivating a welcoming and supportive community and culture for our employees, but we also offer competitive benefits that make it easy to see why we were granted such an awesome award! We offer competitive pay including the opportunity to receive a discretionary bonus based on performance. We offer medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability, paid family leave, dependent care reimbursement, pet sitting reimbursement when traveling for work, flexible spending account, and health savings account. We offer generous paid time off up to 9 hours per month for full time employees, nine paid holidays annually, auto insurance discount, and legal and identity theft coverage. For added well-being support, we offer Pawternity Leave for employees to have time to care for their personal pets, mental health support, and an employee assistance program. We also offer a generous 401k savings plan. Do you want to love where you work and make history and end the killing of shelter pets by 2025? Look no further and apply today!
Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career at Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status.
Applicants for employment in the US must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the US by Best Friends Animal Society.
