Animal Caretaker - Small Animal Emergency

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Job Description:

Come join our team as an Animal Caretaker!

At Iowa State University Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center (LVMC), you will collaborate with a team of experts and make a meaningful impact on the future of veterinary medicine. Under direct supervision, the Animal Caretaker in the Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Service (ECC) is responsible for ensuring the proper handling, feeding, and care of animals, as well as maintaining the cleanliness and functionality of animal facilities in compliance with federal, state, and university regulations. This role supports animal health and welfare while assisting veterinary technicians in daily operations.

Shifts Available:

1. Swing Shift: 4:00PM - 2:30AM, 4 - 10 hour shifts (no on call)

2. Overnight: 9:30PM - 8AM, 4 - 10 hour shifts (no on call)

Key Responsibilities:

• Clean and disinfect animal enclosures, isolation rooms, and equipment following strict protocols to ensure pathogen-free environments and containment of infectious agents.
• Handle, restrain, and care for animals, providing support during veterinary treatments and procedures.
• Feed and water patients based upon instruction from clinical staff.
• Observe and report animal health status, including any signs of illness, injury, or stress, to the clinical staff.
• Maintain patient cleanliness by keeping bedding clean and dry and perform bathing as instructed by clinical staff.
• Assist in facility upkeep by performing minor repairs and reporting significant malfunctions to the supervisor.
• Transport animals while adhering to safety protocols.

This position is essential to maintaining the health, well-being, and care of animals within the facility and requires a commitment to maintaining high standards of cleanliness, safety, and regulatory compliance.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an on-going basis without sponsorship.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities

Feeds and waters animals including the mixing and preparing of feed for standard or special diets.

Weighs animals, keeping records on weights of feed and animal in coordination with the feeding program.

Grooms, handles, and restrains animals.

Checks newly purchased animals for conformance to order specifications.

Cleans and disinfects animal enclosures, isolation rooms, buildings, and equipment, adhering to established policies for maintaining pathogen free environments and containment of animals exposed to infectious diseases.

Operates mechanical equipment, such as autoclaves, ventilated racks, and cage washers.

Checks for and reports failures in heating and ventilation systems to supervisor.

Observes animals for signs of phenotype, illness, injury, or stress.

Reports observations to supervisor.

Assists in routine veterinary treatments or restraint of animals for experimental purposes.

Maintains and performs minor repairs to animal equipment, enclosures, and animal facility.

Reports major building repairs or malfunctions to facility supervisor.

Transports animals, equipment, and supplies using carts or motorized vehicles.

In agricultural setting, may operate farm machinery such as tractors, manure loaders and spreaders, feed grinders, and related equipment as required.

In animal facility, may use ventilated racks and biological safety cabinets for isolation and containment activities.

Under direction of properly trained personnel, may euthanize animals in accordance to standard procedures.

Under direction of principal investigator and with adequate training may be responsible for maintaining breeding colonies.

Maintains the following records: feed, animal inventory numbers, veterinary treatment, animal health status observations, animal room environment observations and other record keeping duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of standard operating procedures for laboratory animal care or livestock care, as applicable.

Ability to learn and apply federal, state, and/or university regulations regarding animal care and use in research and teaching.

Ability to understand, communicate, and execute oral and written instructions.

Ability to keep accurate records.

Ability to recognize changes in conditions of animals and animal room environment, malfunctioning equipment, and unsafe conditions.

Ability to construct and maintain related equipment and facilities.

Ability to lift and/or move 50-100 pounds.

Ability to perform physical labor such as restraining animals, loading and unloading supplies and animals, and standing for prolonged periods of time.

Ability to work around noise, dust, odors, fumes, and extremes in temperature.

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Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please click on Apply and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:

1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae
2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter

If you have questions regarding this application process, please email employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.

Why Choose ISU?

Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:
Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
Generous vacation, holiday and sick time and leave plans
Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
Life insurance and long-term disability
Flexible Spending Accounts
Various voluntary benefits and discounts
Employee Assistance Program
Wellbeing program
Iowa State offers WorkFlex options for some positions. WorkFlex offers flexibility on when, where, and how you do your work. For more information, please speak with the Hiring Manager.

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