At PAWS, we work every day to end pet homelessness and to provide excellent veterinary care to community pets who would not otherwise receive it. In doing so, we save lives who would not have a chance otherwise and help families stay together. We are looking for a diversely talented, team-oriented, full-time veterinarian who's ready to help propel the historic progress we are making in Philadelphia by performing high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN), caring for rescued animals in our shelters, and seeing community pets in our busy wellness clinic.

Our veterinarians are ambassadors of PAWS’ mission, upholding the integrity of the organization and working collaboratively with other staff members and volunteers to ensure smooth operations of our shelter and clinics. 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.  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.
• Lead with accessibility and empathy in mind when  working with pet owners from the community to find affordable solutions to keep their animals healthy and as part of their families. 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.
• Are team-oriented, collaborative, and want to work with PAWS’ medical and non-medical staff to care for the pets and people we serve.
• Are excited about having diversity in your schedule - our veterinarians rotate among surgery, shelter medicine, and community wellness appointments
• Can work efficiently without compromising care.
• Like teaching, guiding, and working collaboratively with veterinary technicians, veterinary students, and support staff.   

The ideal candidate has experience in HQHVSN and shelter and community medicine and will be able to perform surgeries, see appointments in the wellness clinic, and direct treatment for PAWS’ shelter and foster animals.

Responsibilities:

Surgical:
PAWS Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinics provide sterilization services for animals owned by community members, feral or stray cats through “trap-neuter-release” programs, and in-house shelter animals. Additional soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries are performed as needed on foster and in-house shelter animals. The ideal candidate will be able to:

• Spay and neuter a minimum of 25 animals a day, generally 80%-90%cats and 10%-20% dogs. High-volume surgical experience is preferred but not required; training will be provided to a candidate who shows promising surgical skills.
• Perform, or be interested in learning how to perform, a variety of surgeries for our rescued animals, including but not limited to: amputations; various soft tissue surgeries; basic dental services.
• Perform preoperative examinations on animals and determine suitability for anesthesia and surgery.
• Demonstrate excellent leadership skills and ability to manage the surgical flow in collaboration with the Surgery Technician Lead, ensuring animal and human safety.

Wellness Clinic:
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. The ideal candidate will be able to:

• Provide excellent veterinary care for all community pets in PAWS’ care, ensuring the safe, sanitary and humane treatment of animals  in accordance with established professional standards and requirements, applicable laws and regulations
• Conduct routine wellness and sick visits for pets whose owners rely on PAWS for affordable care, including communicating empathetically with owners about the treatment options available. 
• Consult and collaborate with specialty veterinary partners on special cases

Shelter and Foster Animal Care:
PAWS houses 50-100 rescued animals in our main shelter/clinic location at any given time, and our robust foster care program places over 1,500 animals into temporary foster homes yearly. PAWS veterinarians work as a team to provide daily care for this population.  PAWS’ incredible shelter medicine, foster, and adoption programs result in a “save rate” / ”live release rate” of over 97%. The ideal candidate will be able to:

• Providing excellent veterinary care for all rescued animals in PAWS’ facilities ensuring the safe, sanitary and humane treatment of animals in PAWS’ care in accordance with established professional standards and requirements, applicable laws and regulations
• Serve our network of foster parents through established walk-in hours for foster animals
• Conduct routine and sick exams for in-house animals, with 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. 
• Consult and collaborate with specialty veterinary partners on special cases

Benefits of PAWS employment: 

• Competitive salary and retention bonus.
• Potential eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
• 9am - 5pm schedule, with no on-call duties. 
• Medical, dental, and prescription insurance coverage.
• 401(k) plan with employer matching.
• 9 paid holidays 
• Paid time off (PTO).
• Yearly Continuing Education allowance, and up to four paid days off to attend conferences/participate in CE.
• Veterinary Medical Malpractice Liability coverage. 
• VIN membership.
• Pennsylvania bi-annual license renewal fees.
• 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).

About the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

PAWS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to saving Philadelphia’s homeless and at-risk pets. PAWS is the city’s largest rescue partner and provider of affordable veterinary care for pet owners and rescue organizations that cannot otherwise access it. Each year, PAWS saves and finds loving homes for thousands of animals in need. Through its two low-cost, high-volume spay/neuter and wellness clinics, PAWS serves approximately 28,000 animals each year, enabling families to keep their cherished pets and

Education, License, and Experience 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.
• Two + years work experience as a licensed veterinarian in general practice or shelter setting.
• Experience in shelter setting and performing quality high-volume spay/neuter surgery 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.
• Outgoing, patient, empathetic, mature, collaborative, and respectful as a member of our 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.

About Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society

PAWS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to saving Philadelphia’s homeless and at-risk pets. PAWS is the city’s largest rescue partner and provider of affordable, basic veterinary care for pet owners and rescue organizations that cannot otherwise access it. Each year, PAWS finds loving homes for thousands of animals in need, and enables thousands of families to keep their cherished pets. PAWS is working to make Philadelphia a no-kill city where every savable pet is guaranteed a home.

Connections working at Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society