Animal Care Attendant

The Foster Hospital for Small Animals (FHSA) provides high-quality veterinary medical / surgical care to inpatient, outpatient, and critical / emergent small animal cases and superior customer service to clients. In addition, the hospital provides a positive learning experience for Tufts veterinary students, encompassing all specialties offered at the hospital. The FHSA also works closely with the adjoining Hospital for Large Animals (HLA) and Lerner Clinic, sharing many central services such as central stores, sanitation, and pharmacy.

The Animal Care Attendant supports the FHSA's mission through the provision of generalist services that include animal handling and restraint, assistance with patient care, and provision of general housekeeping and infection control to ensure a clean and comfortable environment for all animals treated in the hospital's inpatient, outpatient and emergency services.

When needed, the position will also support the HLA with animal handling and restraint services (and potentially animal handling and restraint at other clinic locations at the Grafton Campus). The position will interact regularly with students so the ability to be flexible is key to the position.

Patient Care - Provide high quality patient care to include the following:

• Assist technicians and students in completing patient treatments while demonstrating proper animal handling and humane restraint techniques, basic and species-specific husbandry techniques, and proper daily care of medical equipment.
• Provide patients with food and water as directed by clinicians.
• Clean and maintain cages and clinical spaces.
• Clean and stock patient care areas and food room.
• Clean and maintain outdoor walk areas.

Patient Transport - Responsibilities include:

• Assist with patient visits.
• Assist with patient drop offs and discharges.
• Transport patients between services within the hospital.

Other - Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

This is a limited term position with the potential to be extended after 12/31/2026

Schedule flexibility is required for this position, with the schedule determined in part by the timing of clinical year DVM students within the FHSA, HLA, and other clinic locations.

Basic Requirements:

Knowledge and experience as typically acquired by:

• High School Diploma or the equivalent with up to one year of related experience.
• Knowledge of small animal behavior, restraint, feeding and basic sanitation.
• Ability to effectively work as a member of a team.
• Pride in maintaining assigned areas in a hospital environment.
• Basic computer skills including the ability to learn the electronic medical record system.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. with or without accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Vocational / technical training or an Associates Degree, along with one or more years of related experience.
• Experience working with students in a post-secondary environment.
• Exotic animal handling experience (including birds, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, and special small mammals such as chinchillas or hedgehogs).
• Large animal handling experience (for maximum position flexibility).