Sacramento SPCA logo
Sacramento SPCA
Sacramento, California

Part-Time/Relief Veterinarian

VeterinarianIncludes weekendsPart-Time

Listed compensation

$63-$80.5/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 23m ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Job Title: Veterinarian I/II
  • Department: Spay/Neuter Clinic
  • Reports To: Chief of Surgery
  • FLSA Status: Non-exempt
  • Salary Range (V): Hiring Range: $63.00 - $70.00 per hour; Salary Range: $63.00 - $80.50 per hour
  • Shifts: Part-time/Relief

Overview

The Sacramento SPCA is a safe haven for animals, and we connect pets and people to the care and education they need. Whether affected by illness, injury, homelessness, or suffering caused by overpopulation, we are committed to saying yes to the animals and the people who love them.

Through our nationally-ranked high-volume spay and neuter clinic (we are ranked as one of the top 10 clinics in the country!), extensive veterinary care for shelter animals, low-cost vaccinations/wellness care, pet retention programs, adoptions, behavior and training programs and commitment to excellent animal care, the Sacramento SPCA is giving more than shelter and saving animals one life at a time.

General Summary

The Veterinarian I and II positions provide access to high-quality veterinary medical and surgical care to clients and ensures the humane treatment of all animals.

This position performs high-volume spay and neuter surgeries on cats, dogs and occasionally rabbits (extensive training available) in our state of the art High-Quality/High-Volume (HQHV) Spay/Neuter Clinic.

Depending on the shift/status, this position may also support our shelter medicine department with medical and surgical cases on our shelter-owned animals and/or support our Vaccine/Wellness clinic program to ensure pets stay healthy and with the people who love them.

The variety in scheduling opportunities is designed to give you, the veterinarian, the choice to work full-time, part-time or even relief shifts and practice the type(s) of medicine that makes your soul sing (surgery, medicine, or both).

Essential Job Functions

Vet I Tier Expectations

Perform 20 to 25 surgeries on average each working day, while training and developing surgical skills using HQHV techniques and ensuring minimal complication rates (extensive training and support supplied upon hire to achieve daily averages).

Vet II Tier Expectations

Perform 25 to 35 surgeries per day, with an advanced level of HQHV surgical techniques and ensuring a minimal surgical complication rate.

Willingness and ability to provide guidance and training to other Veterinarians and staff members while fostering and modeling a positive working environment.

All Vet Tier Level Expectations

Perform HQHV spay and neuter surgeries on public-owned, shelter, or partner-organization owned dogs, cats and occasionally rabbits (support/training available).

Perform general health/pre-operative exams and provides reasonable post-operative care for the animals, including prescribing appropriate medications or treatments for animals requiring care beyond established clinic protocols.

  • Deliver high quality veterinary care in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
  • Make decisions regarding the animals’ health and suitability to undergo surgery.

Ability to perform common surgical procedures including mass removal, dental extractions, umbilical and inguinal hernia repairs as well as pyometra, hydrometra, in-heat and pregnant spays.

Assist with shelter medicine cases when needed, particularly pre-surgical exams and additional surgical procedures at time of spay/neuter (mass removal, hernia repair, dental extractions, etc.).

Communicate effectively with clients, coworkers, leadership and volunteers while fostering a positive working environment that thrives on efficiency and collaboration.

Document all surgical and medical records thoroughly, accurately and consistently.

Flexibility in scheduling type (Spay/Neuter, Vaccine/Wellness and/or Shelter Medicine) is Preferred (required for 40-hour full-time positions).

Openness to feedback, training and support from managers, supervisors and fellow veterinarians to ensure safety and efficiency while maintaining exceptional standards of care.

Responsible for maintaining a current veterinary license in good standing.

Help ensure the safe storage, access, and use of controlled and non-controlled drugs in compliance with applicable State and Federal regulations.

Must be committed to a high standard of safety and willing and able to comply with all safety laws, safety policies and rules, and be willing to report safety violations to supervisor or management.

Attend meetings, conferences, workshops and training sessions and reviews publications and audio-visual materials to remain current on the principles, practices and new developments in assigned work areas.

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • Proficient at performing spay and neuter surgeries for dogs, cats and rabbits with minimal complications.
  • Ability to perform common surgical procedures including mass removal, dental extractions, umbilical and inguinal hernia repairs as well as pyometra, hydrometra, in-heat and pregnant spays.
  • Comply with standard guidelines of the California Veterinary Medical Practice Act.

Understand, interpret and apply pertinent provisions of county, state and federal laws, rules, regulations and standards that affect the operation and administration of the clinic.

Ability to work effectively with the public, management, fellow employees, volunteers, and other agencies and groups.

Ability to comprehend simple and complex instructions, correspondence, and memos.

Ability to provide detailed correspondence and information in one-on-one situations and demonstrate good public relation skills.

Education and Experience

  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from an accredited University required.
  • Current and active license to practice veterinary medicine in the State of California required.

Attend American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB)-approved continuing education courses and earn the required minimum number of CE hours for license renewal.

Practice veterinary medicine within the principles and ethics of the California Veterinary Medical Board and American Veterinary Medical Association.

Preferred minimum of 2 years post-graduate clinic experience.

Physical Requirements

Must stand, walk, bend, stoop, and sit regularly to perform duties. Have the ability to perform prolonged strenuous physical activity, including lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 50 pounds alone or up to 100 pounds with the help of fellow employees for short distances.

Any allergic condition that would be aggravated from exposure or through contact with animals or chemicals used to sanitize facilities, vehicles or equipment may be a disqualification.

Working Conditions

Hours of service at the shelter will be as mutually agreed upon days where surgery appointments will have been scheduled in advance.

By nature of the industry, there may be occasional exposure to dead, injured, sick, unruly, vicious, and/or dangerous animals, in addition to exposure to parasites and infectious diseases.

Must be available and willing to work such weekends, holidays, overtime, and attend mandatory training and meetings as the employer determines are necessary or desirable to meet its business needs.

Note: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and levels of work performed by employees, but are not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Either employer or employee may terminate the employment relationship at any time with or without notice and with or without cause.

Key Responsibilities

The veterinarian will perform high-volume spay and neuter surgeries and provide medical care for shelter and public-owned animals. They are also responsible for maintaining accurate medical records and ensuring compliance with veterinary ethics and safety regulations.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Spay and neuter surgeryPyometra surgeryAnimal health assessmentSurgical documentationClient communicationControlled substance managementSurgical trainingPublic relations

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$149k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $135k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 100% have no call, 100% require no weekends.

What does the Veterinary Medicine market look like in California?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$131k–$167kVeterinary Medicine median $170k (middle half $155k–$190k)70 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$135k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Veterinary Medicine listings in California270 active3,172 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 100% no call · 100% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia healthcare professional listings: 37% state a sign-on bonus (median $50k) · 13% offer loan repayment391 active listings, Nov 2026
New Veterinary Medicine listings960 in the last 30 days550 the 30 days before (+75%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Veterinary Medicine pay trend+3.7% vs prior quarter—through Oct 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 snapshot

median 6.1this job 1.3
Below most Veterinary Medicine listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,095 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends
Sacramento SPCA logo

About Sacramento SPCA

Civic and Social Organizations
Sacramento, California
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Extensive surgical training and support provided
Flexible scheduling (full-time, part-time, or relief shifts)
CE hours required for license renewal

Living in Sacramento

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$452k
Typical market rent
$2,045/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.7
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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