Kentucky Humane Society logo
Kentucky Humane Society
Louisville, Kentucky

Staff Veterinarian

VeterinarianIncludes weekendsNo nightsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting4-day week

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 2mo ago

Job Description

  • Job Location: Main Campus - Louisville, KY 40214 The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) is excited to share a fantastic job opportunity for a Staff Veterinarian in Louisville, KY. At KHS, we are passionate about improving the lives of animals and the people who love them. As Kentucky’s largest pet adoption agency and the state’s oldest animal welfare organization, we are dedicated to making a positive impact in our community. Learn more about the Kentucky Humane Society at kyhumane.org
  • Position: Staff Veterinarian Objective: Provide high level veterinarian care to both owned and shelter animals. Experience: Includes but not limited to surgery, sterilizations, heartworm treatments, amputations, tumor/growth removals, dental procedures, medical examinations, vaccinations and assist in medical care to ensure complete treatment and recovery for all owned and KHS animals.

About KHS Veterinary Care

Focus: Working on our vet services team across the several programs we have at KHS. Our programs include the Sam Swope Pet TLC veterinary office for owned and unowned animals, the CARE-a-van mobile vet clinic providing wellness and spay/neuter services and the S.N.I.P. Clinic our high volume, low cost spay/neuter clinic. Impact: Through leadership, education and proactive solutions, we are creating more compassionate communities by being a champion for companion animals and the people who love them

  • Location: Varies based on program

Benefits of Joining Our Team: Health insurance and 401k Paid time off Coverage for licensing renewals and continuing education Reimbursement for dues for professional associations/groups Enjoy a 4-day work week without night or weekend shifts Why Louisville, KY: Affordability: Enjoy a lower cost of living, with housing costs about 20% lower than the national average.

Community: Experience a vibrant city with a strong sense of community and a rich cultural scene, including festivals, dining, and outdoor activities. Quality of Life: Benefit from a balanced lifestyle with access to parks, recreational activities, and a friendly atmosphere.

Summary of Purpose: Responsible for high level medical care and sterilization provided to owned and shelter animals in accordance with established policy and procedures. Duties (Essential Functions): Provide high level medical care, sterilization, and customer service.

Provide high quality surgeries including but not limited to sterilizations, heartworm treatments, amputations, mass removals, and dental procedures. Perform medical examinations of animals, including but not limited to auscultation of lungs and heart, visual exam of eyes, ears, skin, teeth and rectum.

Vaccinate animals according to VMA approved standards. Ensure effective treatment plans for animals requiring specialized care or procedures are followed or adjusted to provide a positive outcome for each animal.

Adhere to infectious disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies to provide the highest level of care to all animals in KHS programs. Assist in medical care to ensure complete treatment and recovery of all KHS animals.

Participate with KHS medical staff to complete daily population management rounds to assess health status of all shelter animals. Assist in euthanasia decisions and procedures as needed while maintaining standard of care according to the Association of Shelter Veterinarian’s guidelines.

Participate in special events as requested. Support and participate in departmental responses to disaster and emergency events. Medical Operations Ensure medical care team are in compliance with established protocols and handling of controlled substances. Provide medical expertise to KHS staff as needed.

Oversee selection and ordering of medical supplies. Ensure work areas are clean, neat, and orderly at all times. Continued Research and Education

Requirements

Continued research and maintenance of safe and efficacious medical protocol regarding anesthesia and surgery. Participate in continued education programs for medical staff. Consistently obtain continued education as it relates to shelter medicine or high volume spay/neuter protocols and procedures. Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Qualifications/Requirements: Appropriate accreditation and certifications. License to practice veterinary medicine in Kentucky. Ability to complete a minimum of 30 high quality spay/neuter surgeries per day after sufficient training.

Ability to lift and use full range of motion to include standing, stooping, and bending. Support the usage of approved AI tools when they can improve efficiency and reduce time spent on routine or administrative tasks while meeting quality, accuracy, confidentiality and professional standards.

Exceptional organizational, analytical, interpersonal, leadership, and conflict-resolution skills. Self-directed with the ability to work independently/meet deadlines in a fast-paced work environment with little direct supervision. Ability to envision long-range goals and apply them to daily operations.

Ability to communicate respectfully and effectively with people of all backgrounds and personalities. Ability to manage the emotional aspect of end-of-life service and humane euthanasia, and support staff in high-emotion circumstances. Accept, support, and represent KHS core values, programs, policies, and procedures.

Background Check required. Physical, Psychosocial, and Cognitive Demands/ Working Environment Individuals will have extended periods of standing, talking, and listening. Occasionally lifts, carries, or otherwise moves and positions objects weighing up to and exceeding 50 lbs.

Includes working in an indoor environment as well as working with animals in a veterinary clinic setting. Potential for exposure to allergens (including but not limited to pet dander, dust, peanut butter), and zoonotic diseases (diseases transferred from animals to humans). Exposure to chemicals. Exposure to loud noise. Exposure to emotional circumstances. Fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

Provide high-level medical care and surgical services, including sterilizations and dental procedures, to both owned and shelter animals. Participate in population management rounds, assist in euthanasia decisions, and ensure compliance with medical protocols and controlled substance handling.

Requirements

Must hold a valid license to practice veterinary medicine in Kentucky and demonstrate the ability to perform at least 30 high-quality spay/neuter surgeries per day. Candidates must possess strong interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to work in a fast-paced, emotionally demanding environment.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Veterinary surgeryMedical examinationVaccinationEuthanasia proceduresOrganizational skillsAnalytical skillsCommunication

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Kentucky is 90.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 61.6% of Kentucky clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 82% have no call, 74% require no weekends.

What does the Veterinary Medicine market look like in Kentucky?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score7.5 / 10 · top 25% in veterinary medicineranked against 3,033 Veterinary Medicine listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed paynot listedVeterinary Medicine median $140k (middle half $130k–$165k)399 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost of livingKentucky index 90.2US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Veterinary Medicine listings in Kentucky33 active3,017 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 82% no call · 74% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (3,033 Veterinary Medicine listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Staff Veterinarian at KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY a 7.5 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Veterinary Medicine — ranked against 3,033 active Veterinary Medicine listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no night shifts.

Top Veterinarian Jobs

29 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

11 jobs · 6 employers
3
<$80k
2
$80k-105k
1
$120k
4
$130k-155k
1
$170k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

11 jobs · 6 employers
CME allowance
82% this job
401k / retirement match
82% this job
Sign-on bonus
55%
Loan repayment
27% this job
Relocation assistance
27%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Veterinarian - Port Orchard, WA

Woodside Animal Hospital · Port Orchard, Washington

$130k-$170k
#2

Full Time Urgent Care Veterinarian - Ownership Available!

Alliance Animal Health · St. Louis, Missouri

$120k-$150k
#3

Full-Time Mobile Veterinarian

$118k-$140k
#4

Associate Veterinarian - Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital, Richmond SPCA (Full-Time)

$100k-$130k
+ 27 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.7this job 7.5
Better work-life than 80% of Veterinary Medicine listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,033 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No nights
  • Includes weekends
Kentucky Humane Society logo

About Kentucky Humane Society

Non-profit Organizations
Louisville, KY
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health insurance
401k
Paid time off
Coverage for licensing renewals
Continuing education
Reimbursement for dues for professional associations/groups
4-day work week
No night or weekend shifts

Living in Louisville

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$277k
Typical market rent
$1,353/mo
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
93.1
State income tax
Up to 4.5%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026).

BEA 2024 · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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