Veterinary Care Assistant

About the Role

PDSA is the UK's leading veterinary charity, and they're expanding their reach to support more pets and families in financial hardship. You'll join their collaborative Bradford hospital team in a role that combines hands-on animal care, reception support, and direct clinical assistance. This is a daytime-only position with a rolling Monday to Friday rota, with some weekend working required (approximately 1 in 8 weekends). With modern facilities including separate dog and cat kennels, in-house radiography, ultrasound, endoscopy, and extensive orthopaedic equipment, you'll gain exposure to varied cases and clinical interests across a supportive team.

You'll support the hospital in all aspects of day-to-day care: maintaining clean, safe and hygienic environments, assisting with animal handling, stepping into reception when needed, and providing hands-on support to Veterinary Nurses and Veterinary Surgeons. You'll also communicate with clients about financial contributions with empathy and professionalism, helping PDSA's mission to keep pets and owners together.

This role offers an excellent starting point for building a career in veterinary practice within a purpose-led, collaborative environment where your work genuinely helps pets and families who need support most.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain clean, safe and hygienic hospital environments at all times
• Assist with animal handling and day-to-day clinical care under supervision
• Provide hands-on support to Veterinary Nurses and Veterinary Surgeons
• Cover reception duties as needed
• Communicate with clients about financial contributions with empathy and professionalism
• Contribute to a collaborative, supportive team environment
• Participate in case discussions and shared learning opportunities

Requirements

• Veterinary Care Assistant Level 2 Diploma or equivalent qualification (required)
• Experience working within a veterinary practice (required)
• Must be aged 18 or over due to varied shift patterns
• High standard of customer service skills
• Caring and practical approach to animal care
• Highly self-motivated and reliable
• Able to work effectively as part of a supportive team
• Passionate about animal welfare and keen to learn and grow

Benefits

• Competitive salary of £26,278 per annum
• 25 days' holiday plus Bank Holidays
• Three paid special days off annually: Volunteering Day, Celebration Day and Wellbeing Day
• Generous pension options with PDSA contributions starting at 5% and rising to 10%
• Life assurance providing four times annual salary
• AXA Health Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 wellbeing support
• 10% discount on PDSA Pet Insurance plus access to staff veterinary services
• Retail, holiday and lifestyle discounts through staff Fetch benefits platform
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• Access to a collaborative, people-focused workplace culture

About the Practice

PDSA is the UK's leading veterinary charity, providing vital veterinary care for pets of people in financial hardship for over a century. Every year PDSA helps 470,000 pets with over 2.7 million treatments. The Bradford Pet Hospital is a modern, well-equipped facility with separate dog and cat kennels, in-house radiography, ultrasound, endoscopy, piped gases and extensive orthopaedic equipment. The team is highly collaborative with varied clinical interests, creating a supportive environment for teamwork, case discussion and shared learning.

PDSA is committed to embedding a culture of diversity and inclusion, offering family-friendly policies and flexible working arrangements to support team members from different backgrounds. The organisation is dedicated to safeguarding and promoting welfare, with robust recruitment processes including satisfactory references and appropriate background checks.