NOCO Humane logo
NOCO Humane
Evans, Colorado

Shelter Veterinarian - Animal Shelter

VeterinarianIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$115k-$120k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

  • Job Location: 1620 42nd St. - Evans, CO
  • Position Type: Full Time
  • Salary Range: $115000.00 - $120000.00Salary/year
  • Job Title: Shelter Veterinarian
  • Department: Veterinary Services – 09 Job Classification: Full-Time

Salary, Exempt Position. Job Relationships: Reports to the Chief Veterinarian. Works closely with the Veterinary Services Manager and Veterinary Service team, Animal Care, Behavior & Enrichment, Foster & Transfer, Client Services, and Animal Protection & Control.

General Purpose The Shelter Veterinarian provides high-quality veterinary medical and surgical care for animals in NOCO Humane's care through the practice of shelter medicine while supporting animal health, welfare, population health, and positive outcomes in accordance with the medical standards established by the Chief Veterinarian, organizational protocols, and shelter medicine practices.

The position collaborates closely with Animal Care, Behavior & Enrichment, Client Services, Foster & Transfer, Operations, and other departments to provide veterinary expertise, exercise sound medical judgment, and support collaborative decision-making for individual animal care and shelter population management.

This position is primarily based at NOCO Humane's Loveland Campus and provides veterinary support to other campuses as operational needs require.

The regular work schedule is generally four or five days per week and includes a weekend day, evening, and participation in the veterinary department's on-call phone rotation.

Additional hours and occasional on-site response may be required during emergency situations, events, or as operational needs require Essential Duties & Responsibilities Shelter Medicine & Surgery Performs spay/neuter surgeries, dental procedures, and other surgeries as appropriate for shelter and limited owned animals.

Performs physical examinations, diagnostics, treatment planning, and ongoing medical management for animals in NOCO Humane's care in accordance with the medical standards established by the Chief Veterinarian, organizational protocols, and shelter medicine practices.

Participates in medical rounds and collaborates with Animal Care, Behavior & Enrichment, Client Services, Foster & Transfer, Operations, and other departments regarding individual animal care, population health, medical concerns, animal movement, animal welfare, and case management.

Maintains accurate, timely, and complete medical records within the organization's medical record system.

Provides clinical direction and instruction to veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, students, interns, externs, and volunteers during examinations, treatments, anesthesia, surgery, and other patient care activities.

Evaluates medical cases and exercises sound professional judgment when determining treatment plans, quality-of-life assessments, transfer recommendations, and euthanasia decisions. Performs humane euthanasia in accordance with organizational protocols, applicable laws, and accepted veterinary standards.

Participates in community veterinary medicine programs, including vaccination clinics, spay/neuter clinics, and other community outreach initiatives, to improve access to veterinary care, support public health, and advance NOCO Humane's mission. Professional Practice and

Practices medicine in accordance with the medical standards, protocols, and clinical expectations established by the Chief Veterinarian. Assists the Chief Veterinarian in the development, review, and continuous improvement of medical protocols, treatment guidelines, disease prevention practices, and standards of care.

Assists with staff and volunteer education related to shelter medicine, animal health, biosecurity, disease prevention, animal welfare, and safe animal handling practices.

Provides medical consultation and guidance to internal departments regarding animal health, treatment plans, infectious disease management, and animal welfare concerns.

Ensures veterinary medical practices comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including the Colorado Pet Animal Care Facilities Act (PACFA), DEA requirements, and organizational policies.

Maintains current knowledge of shelter medicine best practices through continuing education and professional development. Supports veterinary medical services at other NOCO Humane campuses as operational needs require. Maintains professional licensure, professional liability insurance, and all required certifications.

Follows all organizational safety policies, biosecurity protocols, and infection control procedures. Other

Duties

Meets attendance, punctuality, and scheduling expectations. Adheres to NOCO Humane's Standards of Professional Conduct. Operates organizational vehicles when required. Participates in meetings, committees, organizational initiatives, and cross-functional projects as assigned. Performs other duties as assigned.

August 2026Qualifications: Job Qualifications: Education/Experience: Must be currently licensed (or eligible for licensure) to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Colorado and maintain licensure in good standing throughout employment.

Must maintain current Professional Liability Insurance and all other required certifications. Must be eligible to carry DEA license, as requested. Demonstrated experience in companion animal medicine and surgery required. High-quality/high-volume spay/neuter surgery and shelter medicine experience strongly preferred.

Experience practicing veterinary medicine in a fast-paced environment with limited resources is highly desirable. Experience with small mammals and exotics is helpful. Must be at least 21 years of age (required for insurance purposes).

Must be available to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and participation in the veterinary department's on-call phone rotation as required. Demonstrated commitment to animal welfare, shelter medicine, and the mission, vision, and values of NOCO Humane.

Bilingual English/Spanish fluency (reading, writing, speaking, and understanding) is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Thorough knowledge of shelter medicine principles, including population health management, individual animal health management, infectious disease prevention and control, biosecurity, animal welfare, and epidemiology.

Demonstrated ability to exercise sound clinical judgment and make timely decisions in a fast-paced environment.

Ability to balance individual patient care with population health, animal welfare, public safety, operational priorities, and available resources and budget while supporting the overall health and success of a large, diverse shelter population.

Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication, and relationship-building skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments, foster positive working relationships, navigate challenging conversations professionally, and demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning, professional growth, and organizational success.

Demonstrated professionalism, accountability, integrity, emotional intelligence, and sound judgment. Ability to embrace change, adapt to evolving organizational priorities, and consistently support organizational decisions and strategic initiatives.

Strong organizational, time management, and documentation skills with the ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities while maintaining attention to detail. Proficiency with electronic medical records and computer applications.

Ability to work independently while recognizing when collaboration or consultation with veterinary leadership is appropriate. Ability to remain calm, resilient, and effective in emotionally challenging situations involving critically ill or injured animals, humane euthanasia, and difficult conversations.

Other Valid Colorado Driver's License, insurable driving record, and personal automobile insurance meeting Colorado requirements. Willingness to obtain and maintain rabies vaccination and participate in periodic rabies titer testing. Successfully completes all required organizational training.

Working Conditions: Work is performed in an animal shelter with shared office space. Potential for exposure to zoonotic diseases, dangerous and fractious animals, handling animals of varying types and temperaments, high noise levels, hazardous chemicals, anesthetic gases, ionizing radiation (x-rays), and sharp objects.

Field conditions may be encountered. Potential for bites and scratches while handling animals.

Occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds without assistance and more with assistance; potential for standing on feet for 8 to 10 hours a day; animal handling and restraint in a veterinary setting; driving a motor vehicle; kneeling; squatting; walking dogs on leash; performing physical examinations on animals; handling syringes and needles; potential exposure to hay and dust; potential exposure to deceased animals; audibly listening and verbally communicating.

Available to work a flexible schedule and cover department on-call services, and telephone consultation on an emergency basis, as required. Temporary assignments at other Shelter locations may be required.

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with the job. NOCO Humane conducts background checks, DMV checks and requires drug testing of all employment candidates.

We Are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Benefits for full-time employees include options for medical and life, dental, vision and supplemental accident insurance; STD/LTD insurance; a matching 403b plan; paid time off (PTO) accrual; 9 paid holidays and more.

Benefits for part-time employees include paid time off (PTO); a matching 403b plan and more.

Key Responsibilities

The Shelter Veterinarian provides high-quality medical and surgical care for animals while managing population health and welfare. They collaborate with various departments to ensure effective treatment plans, perform surgeries, and maintain accurate medical records.

Requirements

Candidates must be licensed or eligible for licensure to practice veterinary medicine in Colorado and maintain professional liability insurance. Experience in companion animal medicine and surgery is required, with a strong preference for shelter medicine and high-volume spay/neuter experience.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Veterinary surgeryInfectious disease controlMedical record keepingStaff supervisionEmergency response

Shelter Medicine Career Context

Of the 40 active Shelter Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 65% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Colorado is 103.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$118k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $114k in an average-cost state. 60.9% of Colorado clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Shelter Medicine by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$115k–$120kShelter Medicine median $123k (middle half $115k–$146k)13 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$114k in purchasing powerColorado index 103.1 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Shelter Medicine listings in Colorado93 active4,547 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 3% remote · 65% no call · 60% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS healthcare professional listings: 46% state a sign-on bonus (median $50k) · 10% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

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Work-Life Balance Distribution

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Listing-based score, 0–10, across 4,582 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends
NOCO Humane logo

About NOCO Humane

Non-profit Organizations
Loveland, CO
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical and life insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Supplemental accident insurance
STD/LTD insurance
Matching 403b plan
Paid time off (PTO) accrual
9 paid holidays

Living in Evans

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$387k≈ 3.4× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,747/mo≈ 18% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
26 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
100.2
State income tax
Up to 4.4%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Greeley, CO metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.