ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Guilford County Animal Shelter is the only public shelter in Guilford County. We are a professional, caring organization devoted to saving the lives of lost, abandoned and surrendered animals of Guilford County, N.C. We strive to humanely care for all the animals and work diligently to return lost animals to their owners.

This position plays an important role by ensuring daily physical and behavioral examinations are performed on animals admitted to and adopted from the animal shelter. Through these duties, we are able to monitors and evaluate overall health of the general animal population.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential Duties and Tasks

• Performs physical examination of animals; administers vaccinations; performs house diagnostic testing and interprets results; prepares and administers medications to animals in emergency and non-emergency situations and as part of an established treatment plan.
• Monitors and evaluates overall health of the general animal population; identifies and addresses ill animals in accordance with established guidelines; coordinates with veterinarian as needed.
• Performs euthanasia by injection, maintains all applicable records including DEA controlled substance records.
• Assists veterinarian with sterilization surgeries, including calculating drug dosages, administering and monitoring anesthesia, responding to anesthetic emergencies, and performing pre and post-surgical procedures. Cleans and maintains surgical instruments, equipment and surgical suite.

• Knowledge of modern office practices and procedures, including modern office technology.
• Knowledge of disease management/recognition and general animal care.
• Knowledge and ability to perform specific diagnostic testing to assist with determining health of animal.
• Knowledge of vaccinations required and proper techniques.
• Knowledge of animal shelter policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of and ability to perform physical exams and identify and address medical problems/diseases.
• Ability and knowledge to perform specific treatments/procedures (i.e. wound closure/repair and fluid replacement.
• Knowledge of calculating drug dosages.
• Ability to obtain certification as rabies vaccinator.
• Ability to obtain certification and perform euthanasia by injection.
• Ability to keep accurate and detailed records.
• Ability to perform math.
• Ability to perform procedures such as venipuncture, intubations, catheter placement, aseptic surgical patient preparation.
• Ability to effectively operate and use a variety of medical and office equipment such as microscope, stethoscope, gas anesthesia machines, syringes, catheters, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, centrifuge, pulse oximeter, etc.

Minimum Qualifications
Associate's Degree in Veterinary Medical Technology and two years of experience in veterinary or related field; OR, four years of experience in veterinary or related field. Possession of, or the ability to obtain, certification to administer euthanasia by injection and as a rabies vaccinator.

Preferred Qualification: Registered Veterinary Technician in the state of NC.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands of Work
The following physical activities described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and expectations. While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear; frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds; frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Working conditions are in a kennel environment with frequent exposure to laboratory conditions including hazardous materials, unfavorable fumes and odors, and working with animal body fluids and infectious diseases, and loud noises.

Special Note: This generic class description gives an overview of the job class, its essential job functions, and recommended job requirements. However, for each individual position assigned to this class, there is available a completed job questionnaire with a physical abilities checklist, which can give further details about that one specific position. Those documents should be reviewed before initiating a selection process. They can provide additional detailed information on which to base various personnel actions and can assist management in making legal and defensible personnel decisions.