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Western Veterinary Partners
Santa Cruz, California

Veterinarian – Adobe Animal Hospital of Soquel

VeterinarianFull-Time

Listed compensation

$135k-$180k

Listing transparency3 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage and nights and shift pattern.

Employment & setting
Full-Time · on-site
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Associate Veterinarian – Adobe Animal Hospital of Soquel
  • Santa Cruz, CA
  • Small Animal General Practice | AAHA-Accredited Hospital

About Us

Adobe Animal Hospital of Soquel has served the Santa Cruz community since the 1970s. We have a loyal client base, a low-turnover team, and many team members who have been here for 5+ years. Our team likes working together. Doctors regularly review cases, staff share meals several times a month, and dogs are welcome at work. There’s a strong sense of friendship among the team, both in and outside the hospital.

We’re deeply involved in the community. We serve as the official veterinarian for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department and the Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley Police Department’s canine units. The hospital also works with local animal shelters, Peace of Mind Dog Rescue, and The Birtch Bark Foundation.

  • We practice low-stress medicine with positive reinforcement and a strong focus on patient comfort.
  • The Team, Flow & Facility
  • The hospital has an experienced support team and an efficient doctor workflow.
  • 2 RVTs + 2 team members currently in school. Most support staff have been with the hospital 5+ years
  • Tech appointments: blood draws, treatments, anesthesia monitoring, dentistry, and patient care
  • Doctors have their own offices
  • 4 exam rooms, Large surgical suite
  • Expansion plans in development

Nursing staff obtains the history and TPR, the doctor examines the patient, and the support team handles labs, radiographs, and follow-up so the doctor can move efficiently to the next case.

  • Medicine & Case Mix
  • Wellness and preventive care
  • Dentistry (typically 1–2 procedures per day)
  • Spays and neuters, Mass removals, Basic Amputations
  • Bladder stone procedures
  • Foreign bodies and other soft-tissue surgery
  • Some FHO procedures
  • Acupuncture
  • International health certificates
  • We have strong referral relationships for orthopedic and advanced cases.

What We're Looking For

We’re looking for a veterinarian who is collaborative, comfortable in a team-based hospital, and committed to low-stress patient care.

We’re open to doctors who want to bring an existing clinical interest or bring something new within the practice.

Qualifications

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or equivalent) from an accredited veterinary school.

Active veterinary license (or ability to obtain licensure in California and other applicable states within the region).

Location

Santa Cruz offers easy access to the beach, outdoor recreation, restaurants, coffee shops, and local shopping. Capitola and other coastal destinations are also nearby.

And yes—the beach is close enough to head to during a break.

Compensation & Benefits

  • Full-time or part-time schedules available to support work-life balance.
  • Competitive base salary + production (no negative accrual)
  • Bonuses
  • PTO and holidays
  • CE allowance + CE PTO days
  • Professional organization dues, state license, DEA, PLIT, AVMA, and VIN membership
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including HSA and FSA options
  • International medical and emergency coverage
  • Student loan options
  • 401(k)
  • Paid parental leave

Next Steps

If you’re looking for a long-standing Santa Cruz practice with an experienced team, strong support, and room to develop your interests, we’d love to meet you.

Apply today or reach out directly to learn more about the opportunity at Adobe Animal Hospital of Soquel.

This is a good-faith estimate based on the role's requirements at the time of posting. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. The Company offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include medical, dental, and vision benefits, vacation, sick leave, 401(k), and other benefits depending on role and location. A complete description of benefits available for this position will be provided during the hiring process. Where required under applicable law, Company provides eligible employees with paid sick leave, health emergency leave, and other legally mandated benefits programs, all in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local law depending on the location of the practice you support.

  • California Pay Range
  • $135,000—$180,000 USD

Western Veterinary Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Western Veterinary Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in the job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact hr@westernvetpartners.com. Hiring decisions will be based on merit, qualifications and the legitimate needs of the business.

Candidate Privacy Notice

Key Responsibilities

The veterinarian will perform wellness exams, preventive care, and various soft-tissue surgeries while maintaining efficient clinical workflows. They will collaborate with an experienced support team to provide high-quality, low-stress patient care to a diverse client base.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

DEA License

Key Skills

Small animal medicineLow-stress handlingClient communicationTeam collaborationLaboratory diagnosticsSpay and neuterEmergency triage

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

In California, the Veterinary Medicine weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$153k (36 salary observations; 109 listings), vs ~$137k nationally (273 salary observations; 1,508 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-03-01 through 2026-09-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 40 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 63% have no call, 53% require no weekends.

Veterinary Medicine pay on WeekdayDoc is down 3.7% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$158k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $142k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

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Salary Distribution23 jobs · 22 employers

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks23 jobs · 22 employers

401k / retirement match
96% this job
CME allowance
87% this job
Sign-on bonus
83%
Relocation assistance
57%
Loan repayment
13% this job

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Work-life snapshot

2.8/ 10
Listing-based score
  • On-site

Living in Santa Cruz

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1,439k
Typical market rent
$3,532/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
109.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Western Veterinary Partners logo

About Western Veterinary Partners

Veterinary Services
Denver
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive base salary + production (no negative accrual)
Bonuses
PTO and holidays
CE allowance + CE PTO days
Professional organization dues, state license, DEA, PLIT, AVMA, and VIN membership
Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including HSA and FSA options
International medical and emergency coverage
Student loan options