Recent Listing

Posted: January 5, 2026 (9 days ago)

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Shelter Veterinarian (Veterinary Surgeon)- Per Diem

County of Riverside

Animal Services

Recent

Location

Salary

$200 - $200

per hour

Closes

Not specified

Job Description

Summary

This per diem job involves working as a veterinarian in animal shelters, mainly performing high-volume spay and neuter surgeries on shelter animals and pets, along with other medical treatments and oversight to keep animals healthy.

You'll also supervise a team of technicians and staff to manage care, disease control, and overall shelter operations.

It's a great fit for a compassionate, experienced vet who enjoys fast-paced work in animal welfare and has a passion for improving pet adoptions in a busy county environment.

Key Requirements

  • Valid California Veterinary License
  • Experience in high-volume spay/neuter surgeries (25-40 per day)
  • Knowledge of shelter medicine and animal disease control
  • Ability to perform physical exams, diagnostics, treatments, and immunizations on various animals
  • Skills in anesthesia administration and soft tissue/orthopedic surgeries
  • Supervisory experience over veterinary technicians and animal care staff
  • Capability to conduct post-mortem exams and manage medical supplies

Full Job Description

The Animal Services Department seeks a S

The Animal Services Department seeks a Shelter Veterinarian Per Diem (Veterinary Surgeon) for the Jurupa, San Jacinto, and Thousand Palms locations.

This position will perform a wide range of duties including spay/neuter responsibilities in a clinic/mobile environment, performance of various other small animal surgeries, and provision of medical oversight of impounded animals. The most competitive candidates will have shelter medicine and high volume spay/neuter experience (training available for motivated candidates with interest in this field). While the primary responsibility is the performance of sterilization surgeries (25-40/day) on shelter animals and privately owned pets, ample opportunity exists to perform other soft tissue or orthopedic surgical procedures to improve quality of life and adoptability of shelter animals. In addition to surgical responsibilities, candidate will perform examinations, develop, and oversee treatment plans and medical progress of sick and injured shelter animals.

In addition, the Shelter Veterinarian oversees a team of registered veterinary technicians, animal care staff and clerical support personnel as their duties relate to contagious disease control, medical care and the general well-being of individual animals and the shelter population as a whole. Our compassionate, hard-working team cares for more than 40,000 animals per year within the 4th most populous county in the State of California.

Please watch our video regarding County of Riverside Veterinary Surgeons:

https://vimeo.com/870850556/e1a58555ff?share=copy

Meet the Team!
The Riverside County Department of Animal Services has a vision for promoting an environment of responsible pet ownership through progressive animal welfare initiatives, community outreach, and humane education in a culture of compassion, creativity, and integrity. Learn more by clicking here.


Benefits of Working for the County of Riverside

Requirements

Perform physical examinations, preventive care, diagnostics, and treatments on a variety of animal species.

Using appropriate medical equipment, perform sterilization and other surgeries as necessary on animals; administer anesthesia and/ or other medications as needed.

Perform immunizations on animals for purpose of disease control.

Perform post-mortem exams on a variety of animals in order to make a diagnosis and/or document pathological findings for animal cruelty cases and to ensure community health.

Maintain control of medicinal and surgical supplies.

Ensure through subordinate staff all office equipment and miscellaneous supplies required for clinic activities are maintained at an adequate level and that requisitions are prepared and submitted through appropriate channels as necessary.

Supervise employees to ensure clinic work is adequately performed; instruct, train and advise paraprofessional staff in the proper care and treatment of animals including the euthanasia of dogs, cats, birds and livestock.

Assign and review work of subordinate staff; respond to inquiries from the public and department employees relative to the health and medical conditions of impounded animals.

Maintain detailed and accurate medical records on individual animals; prepare reports and compose correspondence.

Qualifications

Education: Graduation from an accredited school of veterinary medicine with a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

Knowledge of: The principles and practices of modern veterinary medicine, particularly as they relate to the treatment of small animals like dogs and cats; the methods of examining and preparing animals for surgery and of testing and treating them for disease; the laws and regulations governing licensing, quarantine, impounding and care and treatment of animals.

Ability to: Administer medical treatment to and perform surgery on animals; diagnose diseases among animals; deal tactfully and effectively with the public; prepare correspondence, records and reports as necessary.

Physical exposures: This position may require working in an environment with exposure to animal smells, dander, excrement, fluids/wounds, and aggressive animals.

The Veterinary Surgeon may assist with euthanasia of animals and/or lifting of animals for disposal and impounding.

License: A valid license to practice veterinary medicine in the State of California. (An applicant lacking a valid license to practice veterinary medicine in the State of California may be appointed provided he/she acquires the license within 12 months from date of hire.)

Possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Additional Information

For specific questions regarding this position, contact Brian Arcinas at barcinas@rivco.org.

BASED ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, THIS POSTING MAY CLOSE WITHOUT NOTICE.

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Posted on NEOGOV: 1/5/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 1/6/2026

Source: NEOGOV | ID: neogov-riverside-5183783