Veterinarian

The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.

• Provides lead direction to staff responsible for following prescribed treatment and maintaining treatment records for animals brought to the shelter; ensures that the highest level of service and care are provided and that changes in animals' conditions are recorded.
• Assists in the development and implementation of goals, policies, and procedures for the center; recommends changes in procedures as needed.
• Provides preventative treatments for infections, disease prevention and control, general health, parasite diagnosis and treatment, behavioral evaluations and modification, dietary evaluations, and grooming (healthy coat maintenance.)
• Examines animals, evaluates animals' health, and performs veterinary medical and surgical procedures including vaccinations, prescribing and administering of medications, anti-parasite treatments, tests and lab work for infection, and spay and neuter surgery.
• Performs surgical sterilization of dogs, and cats, including pediatric and high-volume spay/neuter.
• Performs in-house inspections with shelter staff.
• Coordinates with local veterinarians and clinic/shelter professionals to promote positive and productive relationships; arranges for full-service care at a veterinary hospital for severely injured, sick, and diseased dogs, cats, rabbits, and other animals; provides full orders for care.
• Performs all necessary euthanasia according to established protocol.
• Establishes and maintains medical records and drug use logs to standards of veterinary and sheltering practices; ensures that records are in order and complete.
• Ensures that all state and federal laws, state regulations, accepted standards, and the Central New York SPCA policies and procedures regarding clinic operations, the practice of veterinary medicine, drug control, and animal care and handling are adhered to.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of shelter animal health protocols, surgical procedures, and companion animal health issues.
• Builds effective relationships through positive interaction and communication with the community, volunteers, and staff.
• Performs other duties as needed

Additional Tasks and Responsibilities
While the following tasks are necessary for the work of the unit, they are not an essential part of the purpose of this position and may also be performed by other unit members.

Assists in monitoring inventory and ordering of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.

Minimum Training and Experience Required to Perform Essential Job Functions:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from an accredited college or university and one year of professional veterinary medical experience.
• Possession of a current license to practice veterinary medicine in New York State.

Physical and Mental Abilities Required to Perform Essential Job Functions:

• Physical Abilities
  • Ability to operate, and maneuver surgical instruments, syringes, catch poles, microscopes, diagnostic equipment, computer, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
  • Ability to coordinate eyes, hands, feet, and limbs in performing movements requiring skill and training, such as performing surgery and giving injections.
  • Ability to recognize and identify degrees of similarities or differences between characteristics of colors, shapes, sounds, tastes, odors, and textures associated with job-related objects, materials, and tasks.
  • Tasks involve the ability to exert moderate but not constant physical effort, typically involving some combination of stooping, kneeling, crouching, and lifting, carrying objects and animals of moderate weight.
     
• Environmental Adaptability
  • Ability to work under often unsafe and uncomfortable conditions where exposure to environmental factors such as temperature variations, odors, toxic agents, violence, noise, wetness, and disease can cause discomfort and where there is a risk of injury.

Knowledge/Abilities Required to Perform Essential Job Functions

• Ability to perform mid-level data analysis including the ability to audit, deduce, assess, conclude, and appraise. Requires discretion in determining and referencing established criteria to define consequences and develop alternatives.
• Ability to provide technical and functional supervision, including scheduling, approving time off, providing technical training, and providing employee feedback.
• Ability to utilize a variety of advisory data and information regulations, animal medical certificates, treatment/medical records, lab results, veterinary medicine manuals and textbooks, and general operating manuals.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing with pet owners, staff, volunteers, the general public, dog control officers, and cruelty investigators.
• Ability to apply principles of influence systems such as supervision, managing, leading, teaching, directing, planning, coordinating, and controlling. Ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.
• Ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness, and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, and/or subjective criteria, as opposed to criteria that are measurable or verifiable.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of veterinary medicine; the most current veterinary practice and techniques relating to the treatment of injured and ill animals, and animal diseases and their prevention, control, and eradication.
• Knowledge of shelter animal health protocols, surgical procedures, and companion animal health issues.
• Knowledge of County, State, City, and Federal Animal Health Laws and regulations and animal regulation procedures and problems.
• Effective customer service strategies and the ability to further the Central New York SPCA customer services objectives and strategies.
• Mathematical Abilities
• Ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; calculate percentages, fractions, and decimals; may require the ability to perform mathematical operations involving basic algebra and geometry.

Distinguishing Characteristics:

This is a single-position class with primary responsibility for the efficient and medically sound operation of The Central New York SPCA animal health care functions.