Description

Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League (Humane Society of the Palm Beaches) is hiring a full-time veterinarian to join our team in sunny West Palm Beach, Florida, just 6 miles from the beach!

Why You’ll Love Working Here

•        Make a Difference: Provide lifesaving care to shelter pets and owned animals in need
•        No Overnight or On-Call: Enjoy predictable hours and leave on time
•        Supportive Team: Work alongside 6 veterinarians and 35 medical support staff
•        Modern Facilities: Renovated in 2022, with advanced equipment and a dedicated dental suite
•        Mission-Focused Care: Make an impact while practicing high-quality, evidence-based medicine, without the pressure of production quotas or profit goals
•        Compassionate Culture: We believe in nonjudgmental care and keeping pets with families whenever possible

What You’ll Do

• Rotate through shelter medicine, surgery, dentistry, and wellness clinic dependent on veterinarian’s preferences
  • Spay/neuter is modeled after ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance
  • Ability to perform any surgeries you are comfortable doing

Join a team of experienced professionals who are committed to compassionate, evidence-based care and collaborative, respectful teamwork

Equipment & Facility Highlights

• Digital radiology & digital dental radiology
• VetPro 1000 dental machines
• Cold laser therapy
• In-house IDEXX lab (CBC, chemistry, UA, coag, cytology)
• Ultrasound, tonometry, Cardell monitoring
• Large, modern exam and treatment spaces, and surgery suites
   

Requirements

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM/VMD)
• Florida veterinary license (or ability to obtain)
• USDA accreditation (or ability to obtain)
• Professional liability insurance

Preferred but not required:

• Experience or training in shelter medicine, HQHVSN, or dentistry
   

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $120,000 – $155,000, based on experience
• PTO + paid holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with employer match
• $2,500 CE allowance (no limit on CE days off)
• Licensing & professional memberships reimbursed
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility
   

About Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League

• Non-profit, limited-admission animal shelter
• Serving a county of 1.5 million residents
• 5,600 annual intakes | 93% Live Release Rate in 2024
• Over 13,000 spay/neuter surgeries performed in 2024
• New adoption center (2021) + renovated medical facility (2022)
• Celebrating 100 years of lifesaving work in 2025!
   

Join Our Team

If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact, work with a supportive and skilled team, and enjoy a healthy work-life balance, we’d love to hear from you!

Apply today and be a part of something special.

Requirements

Job Title:                               Shelter Veterinarian 
Department:                         Medical Services 
Reports To:                           Director of Veterinary Medicine
FLSA Status:                         Exempt

SUMMARY

 The Shelter Veterinarian is responsible for the daily medical operations of the animal shelter, public clinic, and public surgery. This position will rotate through these sections as assigned by the Director of Veterinary Medicine. When rotating through medicine and exams, the Shelter Veterinarian examines pets currently in the shelter, new intakes, and pet retention cases. The Shelter Veterinarian will implement treatment plans while following protocols as assigned and will be responsible for the flow of medical cases towards adoption. When rotating in surgery, the Shelter Veterinarian will perform spay/neuter surgeries, dentals, and other specialty surgeries on shelter pets, privately owned pets, and community cats. When rotating in the public clinic, the Shelter Veterinarian will be responsible for the daily medical operations, including but not limited to seeing patients for wellness visits, sick patient visits, euthanasias, for post-adoption, and post-surgical follow up care. 

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following but other duties may be assigned:

 Medical Care and Operational Support

•        Provide outstanding veterinary care to shelter pets and owned pets, including physical exams, diagnostics, and treatment plans.
•        Lead the management of cases, advocating for the best outcome for individual animals within Peggy Adams’ scope of care.
•        Perform high volume/high quality (25-45 per day) spay/neuter surgeries including pediatric surgeries on shelter, privately owned pets, and community cats.
•        Perform dental prophylaxes with extractions.
•        Perform other types of soft tissue surgery.
•        Perform orthopedic surgery if veterinarian has additional training and experience.
•        Practice incremental medicine, using critical thinking and decision-making skills within Peggy Adams’ scope of care.
•        Participate in euthanasia and euthanasia decision making through a compassionate, thoughtful approach within the shelter and with clients seeking end of life services for their pet.
•        Must have the ability to keep up with a fast-paced animal shelter.
•        Must have ability to use gentle handling techniques and to instruct staff to use gentle handling techniques.
•        Follow and manage preventive medicine protocols. 
•        Establish and maintain medical records and drug use logs to standards of veterinary and sheltering practices; ensure records are complete. 
•        Check daily health status of shelter animals, by performing daily medical rounds.
•        Work collaboratively with shelter staff on census management and animal throughput barriers.
         Perform pre-operative physical exams on shelter and public animals to determine if animals can safely be anesthetized.
•        Perform post-surgical examination if required.
•        Ensure humane care of the shelter animals.
•        Assist with emergency and disaster services.
•        Determine the need for diagnostic procedures and medical treatments.
•        Attend staff meetings and training sessions.
•        Maintain continuing education requirements for Florida veterinary license.
•        Participate in spay/neuter events.
•        Perform other duties as assigned within the shelter as needed.

 Staff and Volunteer Support

•         Contribute to a workplace conducive to high employee morale and output, ensuring positive working relationships between clients, doctors, staff, and volunteers.
•        Supervise subordinate staff on daily duties.
•        Available to assist technicians if required with administration of anesthesia, catheter placement, prep, and post-op monitoring.
•        Provide direction to staff responsible for following prescribed treatment and maintaining treatment records for animals brought to the shelter; ensure that the highest level of service and care are provided and that changes in animals' conditions are recorded. 
•        Contribute to a culture of embracing volunteerism, emphasizing the importance of volunteers in all aspects of Medical Services.

 Client Support

•        Must possess strong people skills and be comfortable interacting with the public.
•        Provide accurate, concise medical information to clients, adopters, foster parents, staff, and volunteers.
•        Ensure client experience is exemplary when interacting with the Center for Veterinary Care.

 Department Management 

•       Works with third-year and fourth-year veterinary students and shelter medicine interns as scheduled by the Director of Veterinary Medicine.
•       Performs other duties as assigned by the Director of Veterinary Medicine. 
•       Follows all safety guidelines to ensure a safe work environment.

QUALIFICATIONS

 To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

•      Supports Peggy Adams’ mission, policies, and practices.
•      Possesses a thorough understanding of and dedication to the philosophies of
•      animal welfare.
•      Licensed by the Florida Department of Professional Regulations to practice Veterinary Medicine and Surgery or ability to obtain license prior to first day of work.
•      USDA accredited veterinarian or ability to obtain accreditation within 90 days of beginning work.
•      Provide proof of professional liability insurance. 
•      Ability to communicate orally and in writing with pet owners, staff, volunteers, and the public. 
•      Must be able to pay attention to detail, as well as work in a fast-paced environment that requires multitasking and multiple demands on time. 
•      Must be able to work professionally with and handle cats and dogs, including those with health concerns/conditions as well as behavioral issues. 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

•        Must have Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or equivalent.
•        A minimum of one year of experience in shelter medicine is preferred.
•        Shelter Medicine internship, Maddie’s Shelter Medicine certificate, Maddie’s Fellowship program graduate, or other formal shelter medicine training preferred.
•        Experience with HQHVSN and/or dentistry is preferred.
•        Training through ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance preferred.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

•        Knowledge of shelter medicine and epidemiology helpful. Knowledge of disease recognition in shelter setting required. Knowledge and experience in sterilization surgery helpful.
•         Effective decision making, diagnostic skills, and interest in pursuing treatment options. 
•        Knowledge of the principles and practices of veterinary medicine. Knowledge of and willingness to follow best practices within Peggy Adams’ scope of care.
•        Must have strong computer and data entry skills. 
•        Knowledge of ShelterLuv and/or Shepherd preferred.
•        Proficient in Microsoft applications.
•        Working knowledge of personal computers including, but not limited to, access databases, checking company email, etc. 
•        Ability to remain composed under stress.
•        Ability to provide constructive feedback to support staff when required with tact, fairness, and diplomacy.  
•        Strong customer service, oral/written communication skills and interest in networking with other professionals. Desire to implement efficiencies on an ongoing basis.
•        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 clearly measurable or verifiable. 
•        Able to work well under pressure and handle multiple tasks at one time.
•        Builds effective relationships through positive interaction and communication with the community, volunteers and staff.
•        Able to direct work of others, train/develop employees, and evaluate employee performance. 
•        Bilingual a plus.

WORK ENVIROMENT 

 The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  

•      Work is performed on the Peggy Adams campus with shared office space. 
•      Potential for exposure to zoonotic diseases, dangerous and fractious animals, high noise levels, hazardous chemicals, anesthetics and sharp objects.
•      Occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds, potential for standing on feet for 8 hours a day, animal handling and restraint in a veterinary setting.