Facility

Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Closing Date

Description

The Vet Tech is responsible for assisting Zoo Veterinarians and Animal Care staff in all aspects of animal care (preventative medicine, emergency care, and anesthesia).

Essential Functions:
Daily Medical Care:
-Effectively prepares and maintains medical records. Inputs medical records, testing results, and necropsy/histology reports into ZIMs record keeping program within a month of result finalization.
-Actively assists the veterinary team in the care of the zoo’s animal collection including procedures involving: immobilization/anesthesia, physical restraint, physical examination, surgery, radiology, ultrasonography, endoscopy, phlebotomy, cystocentesis, fluid administration, intubation, anesthetic monitoring, bandaging, wound care, medication administration, dentistry, and treatment of the zoo’s animal collection.
-Effectively performs laboratory work, including blood, urine and fecal testing daily. Ensures appropriate handling and submission of laboratory samples as directed by veterinarian daily.
-Undertake or assist in the disposition of nuisance wildlife potentially injurious to the zoo collection, including euthanasia under the direction of a veterinarian.
-Assistance with necropsies including collecting and preparing tissues for histopathologic evaluation.

Provide Excellent Animal Care:
-Provides excellent care to quarantined and hospitalized animals. Effectively performs all zookeeper duties as needed. Thoroughly cleans and disinfects assigned animal enclosures, and ensures cleanliness of hospital facilities throughout the day. Actively observes animals’ behavior, checking for any signs of illness or disorder; reports irregularities and abnormal behavior to the veterinarian.

Provide Excellent Staff and Visitor Experience:
-Performs special assignments and projects as requested, and assists with other shifts as needed. Assumes other responsibilities as necessary to assure achievement of established objectives.
-Supervise veterinary students, veterinary technician students, and volunteers.

Hospital Safety, Sanitation, Maintenance and Organization:
-Organizes animal sample storage for future diagnostic use and data banking.
-Maintains all hospital and quarantine equipment, and facilities in a clean and ready state at all times and schedules routine maintenance as indicated.
-Provides assistance in all zoo signal response as appropriate.

Education and Pre-requisites

Qualifications/Basic Job Requirements:
-Degree in Veterinary Technology or related field from an accredited university preferred.
-Must obtain a California Veterinary Technician license within 6 months of employment and maintain throughout employment.
-Minimum two years’ related experience required. Applicable experience in an AZA facility preferred.
-Valid California driver’s license and a clean driving record.
-Excellent written and verbal English communications skills required. Bilingual communication skills a plus.
-Availability to work or be on-call 24 hours a day, including weekends, evenings, and holidays.

Compensation and benefits

Benefits

Application instructions

Interested Applicants should apply through our website: www.fresnochaffeezoo.org/careers