At PAWS, we work every day to end pet homelessness and to provide excellent, accessible, and affordable veterinary care to community pets. In doing so, we save lives who would not have a chance otherwise, and help families stay together. We are looking for a talented, team-oriented, part-time veterinarian who is ready to help propel the historic progress we are making in Philadelphia by caring for rescued animals in our shelters, many with medical, surgical, and age-related needs, and seeing community pets and foster animals in our busy wellness clinic.

 

Veterinarians are ambassadors of PAWS’ mission, upholding the integrity of the organization and working collaboratively with other staff members and volunteers to ensure the smooth operation of our shelter and clinics. This position is for PAWS’ shelter/clinic located at 2900 Grays Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19146.

 

We think you’ll be a great fit if you:

• — Want to play an integral role in caring for the 2,400 or more homeless animals that PAWS rescues yearly, many of whom have medical needs.
• — Enjoy working with pet owners to find affordable solutions to keep their animals healthy and as part of their families.
• — Are team-oriented and want to work with PAWS’ medical and non-medical staff to care for the pets and people we serve.
• — Can work fast and efficiently without compromising care.
• — Like teaching and guiding technicians, veterinary students, and support staff. 

 

The Wellness Clinic Experience at PAWS:

PAWS’ Clinics also provide a means for pet owners and animal rescue organizations in Philadelphia to access affordable, high-quality, basic veterinary services for their dogs and cats. Clinics are equipped with the medications and resources to handle routine outpatient cases including wellness exams, skin conditions, upper respiratory infections, gastrointestinal disease, non-emergent urinary tract conditions, minor soft-tissue injuries, and other preventative care. Thanks to grants and other strategic partnerships, PAWS is able to assist pet owners who experience financial barriers to getting their pet seen or medications filled. Our goal is to be a trusted resource for pet owners in our community who would not otherwise be able to access or afford care, so that they can keep their cherished pets as part of their families.

 

The Shelter and Foster Animal Care Experience at PAWS:
PAWS houses 50-100 rescued animals in our main shelter/clinic location at any given time, and our robust foster care program places over 1,000 animals into temporary foster homes yearly. PAWS veterinarians assigned to surgery and the wellness clinic work as a team to provide daily care for this population through established walk-in hours for foster animals, routine and sick exams for in-house animals, and surgical care as needed. PAWS veterinary staff have access to in-house digital radiography, dental radiography, ultrasound, and other diagnostic tools which allow us to provide a high level of care to homeless pets in need. PAWS’ incredible shelter medicine, foster, and adoption programs result in a “save rate” / ”live release rate” of over 97%.

 

Scheduling Needs:
This part-time position consists of 2-3 shifts per week at our Grays Ferry clinic/shelter, ideally including one weekend day. The position would primarily serve owned patients through PAWS’ Wellness Clinic, and would likely not include HQHVSN surgical shifts.

 

Benefits of PAWS part-time employment: 

• — Competitive salary.
• — 9am – 5pm schedule, with no on-call duties. 
• — 401(k) plan with employer matching.
• — Major holidays off (the shelter and clinic are closed).
• — Yearly Continuing Education allowance, and up to three paid days off to attend conferences/participate in CE.
• — Contribution towards VIN membership.
• — Contribution toward Pennsylvania bi-annual license/license renewal fees.
• — Veterinary Medical Malpractice Liability coverage for your work at PAWS.
• — Free and heavily discounted clinic services, lab work, medications, and food for your personal pets.
• — Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• — Voluntary benefits (short- and long-term disability, life insurance, accident insurance).

 

Educational and Licensure Requirements:

• — Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or equivalent from an accredited university.
• — Valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Veterinary license with no history of complaints or disciplinary action required.
• — Two+ years’ experience working in a shelter setting or a community medicine-oriented general practice is strongly preferred.

 

Additional Job Skills Required:

• — A self-starter who is organized, innovative, flexible, and passionate about PAWS’ goals and objectives.
• — Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills with strong attention to detail.
• — The ideal candidate is outgoing, patient, empathetic, mature, and able to get along well with a culturally diverse community.
• — Good judgment and strong problem solving ability, identifying tasks that need to be accomplished and prioritizing appropriately, and working independently with minimal supervision and direction.
• — Ability to manage and accommodate varied work assignments and schedules.
• — Comfort and experience with Google and Microsoft applications strongly preferred. PAWS uses a variety of web-based software that veterinarians must be comfortable learning to use on a daily basis for managing client care. 

 

Interested?
Please email a cover letter and resume to Natalie Smith, Director of Operations, at natalie@phillypaws.org.