Animal Care Assistant

About the Role

This part-time Animal Care Assistant position is based in Vets Now’s Reading clinic and sits within an emergency and critical care environment. You’ll support the clinical team in keeping in-patients comfortable, well cared for and settled during busy shifts.

The rota runs on a four-week pattern, with Week 1 off, Week 2 Friday from 19:00 to 00:00 and Sunday from 09:00 to 21:00, Week 3 off, and Week 4 repeating the same Friday and Sunday shifts. A fair share of bank holidays is also included.

Key Responsibilities

• Work under the direction of Vet Nurses and Vet Surgeons.
• Handle patients for basic procedures and help run diagnostic tests.
• Assist with setting up and clearing down theatres for surgical procedures.
• Support in-patients with basic husbandry needs.

Requirements

• Ability to work as part of a clinical team in a busy emergency clinic.
• Willingness to handle patients and support basic procedures.
• Comfort working Friday evening and Sunday shifts on the stated rota.

Benefits

• £14.05 per hour.
• 7 weeks pro rata annual leave.
• Your birthday as a paid day off.
• Cash Health Plan provided by Simply Health.
• Vets Now For You reward gateway with discounts and cashback at hundreds of retailers.
• £780 CPD allowance pro rata.
• 10 hours of paid CPD annually pro rata.
• Family-friendly policies, including sick, maternity, paternity and adoption pay schemes.
• UK Standard Pension contributions of 5% employee and 3% employer.
• Up to 50% discounted staff pet care.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Death in service cover of two times annual salary.

About the Practice

Vets Now is the UK’s leading provider of emergency pet care, supporting more than 1,700 veterinary practices through 60 plus dedicated out-of-hours clinics and two 24/7 pet emergency hospitals. This role is based within Castle Vets at 1 Tilehurst Road, Reading, RG1 7TW.

The wider team culture is built around close-knit clinical support, shared responsibility and structured rotas, with a focus on making emergency care sustainable as well as rewarding.