Responsibilities:

• Responsible for supervising and providing direction to the Surgery Manager, Veterinary Technician Manager, and Animal Care Manager who oversee new animals coming into the shelter, surgery, medical care of all shelter animals, and sanitation in the animal care areas
• Responsible for the overall health status and disease control of the shelter’s animals 
• Establishes, manages, and implements surgical protocols for the shelter animals, including such procedures as spaying and neutering and other medically necessary surgeries to repair wounds and injuries, along with the other veterinarians
• Participates daily in providing surgery and establishes positive working relationships with local veterinarians for assistance with surgery 
• Responsible for ensuring the humane treatment of animals at the shelter at all times
• Works toward BARCS mission to lower euthanasia rates for healthy and treatable animals
• Ensures protocols and procedures are followed for all aspects of animal care including, but not limited to: infectious disease protocols, cleaning protocols, enrichment protocols, kennel maintenance, and medical care
• Performs physical examinations on animals in the shelter and evaluates bite case animals
• Provides immediate medical diagnostics and response on animal health and safety concerns for animals in the shelter 
• Administers medical and surgical treatment as needed and creates treatment plans for veterinary technicians to administer 
• Responsible for the oversight of emergency cases, including being on call overnight
• Works in coordination with management team to manage the shelter’s animal population and dispositions with the goal of saving all healthy and treatable animals
• Evaluates animals confiscated for investigations and provides written documentation of evaluation for these cases
• Responsible for training and maintaining employees knowledge on following proper shelter protocols and procedures, including, but not limited to, proper animal handling and restraint, medical care, and safety protocols 
• Responsible for  maintaining a clean and sanitary work environment
• Responsible for positive working relationships with local veterinary hospitals 
• Performs humane euthanasia 
• Responsible for all controlled substances and maintaining drug logs in accordance with veterinary and state law
• Responsible for effective communication of shelter policies, practices, and procedures to employees, volunteers, and the general public
• Responsible for clear and accurate data entry and signage for proper communication

• Performs related work as required

Qualifications:

• Licensed DVM or VMD in the State of Maryland
• Strong surgical skills and a minimum of one year of practical surgical experience highly desirable
• Previous experience in shelter medicine and pediatric surgeries is highly desirable
• Minimum of five years of experience in the care of animals in a veterinary hospital, animal clinic, or animal control, or shelter facility
• Minimum of two years of experience supervising employees preferred
• Must be comfortable with, and demonstrate, the ability to handle dogs and cats and animals that are sick, injured, frightened and potentially fractious 

• Must demonstrate being efficient and effective in math, writing, and data entry 

• Certified in humane euthanasia
• Ability to modify work schedule to meet BARCS operational needs

Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all staff and contribute to a positive working environment
• Ability to follow both written and verbal directions concerning the care and handling and disposition of animals
• Ability to work both independently as well as with a team
• Ability to assess, detect and recognize animal behavior and health that is potentially dangerous for both humans and/or animals     
• Ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment with a variety of people
• Must be detail oriented and able to prioritize and perform duties efficiently and effectively

• Committed to maintaining the BARCS high standard of animal care and mission 

Working Conditions:

Work is performed in an animal shelter that operates seven days a week, with exposure to conditions such as dust, wetness, odors, high noise levels, etc. Work requires physical exertion such as, but not limited to, standing most of the day, bending often to interact with animals, lifting animals of all shapes and sizes with an average weight of 50 pounds, lifting bags of litter and food, etc. There is exposure to animals of all kinds including domestic, wildlife, and farm animals. There is potential exposure to: sharp objects, cleaning agents, animal waste, zoonotic diseases, dangerous or fractious animals, and potentially hazardous conditions including the risk of animal scratches and bites. There is also exposure to friendly, loving animals in need of your affection.