Purpose of Position:

Responsible for the daily care of wild patients receiving veterinary care, assisting veterinarians and rehabilitation staff with pre-, peri-, and post-operative care of wild patients, and maintaining smooth wildlife health operations.  

Essential Responsibilities:

• Works directly with the wildlife veterinarians to assure the safety, health and behavioral needs of wildlife patients, assuring that all veterinary procedures are performed in a highly efficient and effective manner. 
• Performs daily activities to assist the veterinary and rehabilitation staff. These duties include emergency and critical care treatment, pre-medicating, restraint and handling of animals, routine collection and analysis and shipment of laboratory diagnostic samples (for in-house and outside labs), radiographic positioning and imaging, anesthetic induction and monitoring and assisting in surgery as needed.
• Supports, coordinates, facilitates and administers treatments with the rehabilitation staff under the direction of a veterinarian. Assists with patient rechecks as needed. 
• Performs all duties related to purchasing of pharmaceuticals, hospital and laboratory supplies, maintaining pharmaceutical inventory, and properly disposing of expired drugs and supplies.

• Maintains complete and accurate patient record in Raptormed, PAWS’ database. Ensures accuracy in the controlled substance logbooks.
• Updates veterinary rounds list daily to reflect current status of patients in veterinary care and provide a daily summary of patients that underwent veterinary care in the rehabilitator notes.

• Performs automated and manual laboratory tests, including hematology, parasitology and cytology.
• Trains PAWS Wildlife emergency team members semi-annually in the spring and fall. Acts as part of the emergency response team for animal escapes and can shoot darts accurately.
• Maintains and sterilizes surgical packs and instruments. 
• Performs hospital maintenance and cleaning, including sterilization and organization of medical and laboratory equipment, maintenance of darting and other equipment, and maintenance of oxygen supply for wildlife hospital.

Other Responsibilities:

• Humanely euthanizes wildlife patients according to written policies and procedures and under the direction of a veterinarian.
• Ensures compliance with established disease control, and health and safety rules and communicates directly with the Rehabilitation Manager to ensure the rehabilitation team is compliant.
• Maintains a high level of cleanliness, sanitation, disinfection and quality control in the treatment, surgery, radiology and laboratory areas. Maintains a tidy and organized workplace to ensure high productivity. Assists in maintaining medical, surgical and diagnostic equipment and associated recordkeeping and licensing requirements.
• Displaying a positive attitude and acts as a motivating force for all staff members.
• Manages the wildlife veterinary technician student externship program including recruitment, screening and selecting successful applicants. Responsible for documenting student progress and formal reporting to each student’s college.
• Trains rehabilitators, veterinary technician students, and new staff members to utilize our patient care protocols. Assists in training of Veterinary interns and externs as needed.
• Responds appropriately during an emergency, able to take directions from a veterinarian and direct others during the event and maintain competency during emergency procedures.   
• Provides daily care for animals while in the hospital, nursery and/or quarantine when Rehabilitators are unavailable, including feeding, cleaning, and observing health status.
• Remains current on veterinary technology methods through literature review, attending conferences, meetings and workshops, and networking with the rehabilitation and veterinary technology community.
• Assists with research and disease surveillance projects within the wildlife center.
• Other related duties, as assigned by the supervisor.

Controls over Work:

The wildlife veterinary technician works under the supervision of the Sr. Director of PAWS Wildlife Center and Companion Animal Services while receiving daily direction from the wildlife veterinarians. Work is performed without direct supervision.

Written performance evaluations will be given after the first 90 days and annually thereafter.

Physical Demands:

• Work is performed both in and out of the wildlife center buildings.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear and use hands to handle or feel.
• The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, reach, climb, stoop, kneel, and crouch.
• Lifting animals is one of the most physically tasking job aspects, must be able to lift a minimum of fifty (50) pounds.
• Substantial physical exertion is also required to move and restrain heavy animals.
• This position relays heavily on all senses every day to evaluate patients.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus while evaluating, examining and darting patients, monitoring surgery and post-mortem examinations, and/or using a microscope.
• Touch is important for physical examinations, taking blood samples, performing surgical procedures and giving medication.
• Hearing is important for communicating with co-workers, visitors and patients, and listening for heartbeats and breathing.
• Smell is important for identifying some diseases, infections, body fluids, medications, etc.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to x-rays, hazardous chemicals, drugs, and dangerous animals, and contagious disease.
• The employee is sometimes exposed to various environmental conditions, including wet/humid conditions (non-weather) and outdoor weather, when working with animals.
• The position also spends a moderate amount of time at a computer.

Requirements:

• Licensed/Registered Veterinary Technician degree from accredited organization; and a minimum of two years of experience as a licensed technician in the care and treatment of animals; or equivalent education/experience. Good standing in the State of Washington.
• Associate in Veterinary Technology Degree from an AVMA-accredited program preferred.
• Previous experience with non-domestic, wildlife species or zoo animals preferred.
• Must have a basic understanding of radiology equipment and positioning various species for radiographs for quality diagnostic images, and the ability to troubleshooting problems with the equipment; must have the ability to translate these skills to portable radiograph equipment in the field.
• Experience with Microsoft Office programs required; experience with wildlife database systems a plus. A functional level of computer literacy is expected.
• Must have or be able to obtain a valid Washington driver’s license with no record of major or repeated minor traffic offenses and auto-insurance with required coverage limits.

       Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of natural history and behavior of native wildlife species is essential. Pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis will be mandatory.
• Maintain communication in an effective and professional manner with the public, trainees, volunteers and all PAWS staff members.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including weekends, nights and/or holidays as needed; must also be able to share a 24/7 on-call schedule in case of emergency situations as needed.
• Must be willing and able to handle individual animals in a caring and respectful manner, in a high-volume wildlife center, dealing with high stress and busy conditions. Human and animal safety must be a priority.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team, in consultation with the Veterinarian, and independently with little supervision.
• Must be able to provide first-response and emergency first-aid patient care in the absence of the Veterinarian.
• Must be able to work cooperatively with people and to communicate clearly about PAWS’ mission, the care and treatment of animals, and the safety of the public, other staff and volunteers. A strong team orientation is necessary.
• Strong organizational and time management skills are needed. Demonstrated leadership skills will be helpful.
• Ideal candidates embrace and embody the five core values of the organization: commitment, compassion, respect, kindness, and trust.