The Arizona Animal Welfare League, the largest and oldest no-kill shelter in Arizona – is seeking a full-time Shelter Veterinarian. AAWL’s mission is to provide high-quality care for their patients from public intakes, rural rescue, and other partner organizations. he Staff Veterinarian – Surgery provides high-quality, high-volume surgical and medical care for shelter animals within AAWL’s veterinary program. This role is responsible for performing spay/neuter, soft tissue, urgent, and other surgical procedures based on experience and organizational needs, while supporting the overall medical care and population health of shelter animals.
The Staff Veterinarian – Surgery works collaboratively with veterinary technicians, animal care staff, other veterinarians, and organizational leadership to provide efficient, compassionate, and high-quality patient care. This position will also support the continued development of AAWL’s surgical capabilities and may contribute to the future expansion of community veterinary services.
Key Responsibilities
Surgical Care
- Perform high-volume spay/neuter surgeries for shelter animals.
- Perform soft tissue and other surgical procedures based on experience and organizational needs, including amputations, mass removals, cystotomies, abdominal exploratory surgeries, and enucleations.
- Perform urgent and emergency surgical procedures as needed.
- Perform dental procedures and/or develop additional dental skills as appropriate.
- Provide appropriate post-operative care and follow-up for surgical patients.
- Recognize, evaluate, and appropriately manage surgical complications.
- Maintain high standards of surgical safety, patient care, and surgical efficiency.
Medical & Shelter Care
- Perform physical examinations, diagnostics, and develop treatment plans for shelter animals as part of a balanced clinical caseload.
- Provide medical care for animals experiencing illness, injury, infectious disease, or other medical conditions.
- Support shelter population management and infectious disease prevention and treatment.
- Assist with shelter case management when the primary shelter veterinarian is unavailable.
- Provide clinical guidance regarding escalated medical cases through the shared on-call rotation.
- Promote humane treatment and compassionate care for all animals, regardless of condition or temperament.
Diagnostics & Clinical Oversight
- Interpret laboratory results, radiographs, and other diagnostic tools to guide medical and surgical decisions.
- Develop and implement appropriate treatment and surgical plans.
- Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant medical recordkeeping.
- Establish and follow medical and surgical protocols in alignment with AAWL standards and veterinary best practices.
- Maintain compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, including the veterinary practice act.
Population Health & Shelter Medicine
- Support population-level health strategies, including disease prevention, treatment, and outbreak management.
- Monitor the health of the shelter population and make recommendations to improve outcomes and reduce length of stay.
- Collaborate with shelter and medical teams to ensure appropriate care for animals with medical or behavioral needs.
- Assist with population management decisions when medical or surgical intervention is required.
Team Collaboration & Mentorship
- Provide clinical guidance and direction to veterinary technicians and assistants during procedures and patient care.
- Mentor veterinary fellows, interns, externs, and other learners.
- Support training and development of medical staff by sharing knowledge and reinforcing best practices.
- Collaborate with other veterinarians, veterinary technicians, animal care staff, clinic leadership, and cross-functional teams to support efficient operations and quality patient care.
- Foster a respectful, collaborative, and mission-aligned work environment.
Community & Program Development
- Participate in community vaccine or wellness clinics as needed.
- Support the development of future community spay/neuter services as organizational capacity allows.
- Assist in exploring a phased approach to community surgical services, which may include TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) and future low-cost public spay/neuter services.
- Contribute ideas and expertise toward the continued development of AAWL’s surgical and veterinary programs.
- Support AAWL’s mission and core values of collaboration, integrity, empathy, and innovation.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
- Pay starts at $140,000 – $175,000 per hour.
- Generous PTO, sick leave, and 12 paid holidays annually.
- 100% employer-paid medical and life insurance; dental, vision, and supplemental options available.
- Employer-supported professional development.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Other benefits include:
- Arizona Veterinary Medical and DEA license fees paid.
- American Veterinary Medical Association, Association of Shelter Veterinarians, Arizona Veterinary Medical Association and Veterinary Information Network membership fees paid.
- Liability and malpractice insurance paid (AVMA PLIT).
- Generous paid 3-week vacation/sick time off, and 12 paid holidays per year
- $2,000 C.E. allowance and paid professional development opportunities to attend veterinary conferences (negotiable).
- Qualified Employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program