About the Role

The Associate Veterinary Surgeon at the Chengdu Bear Rescue Centre (CBRC) provides medical and surgical veterinary services within CBRC by providing the day-to-day health care of bears and domestic or wild animals at CBRC.

They assist the Senior Veterinary Surgeon and the Veterinary Nurses in teaching Chinese veterinarians through a practical skill focused veterinary training internship.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide veterinary medical care, examination, diagnoses, treatment, surgery and follow-up veterinary care for bears and domestic or wild animals of CBRC and off-site facilities as required.
• Prescribe medications to bear and domestic or wild animals to minimize pain, discomfort and to assist with recovery.
• Perform health checks and cholecystectomies on new bear arrivals at CBRC or in the field as required.
• Provide direction to Veterinary Nurse during medical and surgical treatment of bears and domestic or wild animals.
• Perform euthanasia as necessary after consultation with Senior Veterinarian, Bear & Vet Team Director, CEO & members of Bear and Vet team to end suffering for bear and domestic or wild animals when medical conditions are critical and prognosis is poor.
• Perform neutering and spaying surgeries of dogs and cats as per Small Animal Policy.
• Be available to provide assistance in Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre (VBRC) if necessary.
• Assist in outreach programs in China and elsewhere in Asia when required.
• Participate and assist in the training and continued education of veterinary interns, students and local veterinarians and veterinary staff.
• Assist with the managing and keeping accurate records and photographs of all medical procedures performed and outcomes on bears and domestic or wild animals at CBRC and off-site facilities.
• Contribute to the on-going review, development and implementation of changes to improve the productivity and efficiency of the Veterinary Team in conjunction with Senior Veterinarian (& Bear & Vet Team Director).
• Assist in inventory management including stock checking on a monthly basis.
• Assist in routine cleaning at end of month to ensure working areas are maintained to high standard of cleanliness and organization.
• Acts as the key veterinary technical advisor to the Bear and Vet Team Director and the Senior Bear Team manager when the Senior Veterinary Surgeon is unavailable.
• Maintains bear medical records and protocols, ensuring they are kept up-to-date, accurate and reflect evolving best practice bear care.

Requirements

Skills / Abilities

• Strong people management and leadership skills and the ability to motivate and inspire staff.
• Ability to teach students, interns and nursing staff through staff training and development is beneficial.
• Good teamwork skills, able to communicate veterinary terminology to laymen at the sanctuary and throughout the organization.
• Good organizational skills to maintain medical records to a high standard.

Knowledge

• Veterinary expertise, understanding and ability to treat a range of medical and surgical conditions that would be expected in a high volume general veterinary practice. An understanding of these in wildlife is not essential as techniques used in domestic species are often directly transferable to bears is advantageous.
• Experience in developing SOPs, demonstrating the ability to contribute to the on-going review, development and implementation of changes to improve the productivity, efficacy and efficiency of tasks performed by a veterinary team.

Experience

• At least 2-3 years of experience working as a veterinary surgeon.
• Some experience at a large mixed species veterinary practice, zoological facility, specialist referral centre, or similar working environment is advised.
• Ability to perform routine desexing surgeries of cats and dogs.
• Demonstrable ability to develop veterinary skills in other veterinary surgeons beyond the level of graduation, especially in the field of soft tissue surgery is advantageous.
• Able and comfortable to lead emergency surgeries including of the acute abdomen (hepatic, gastric and intestinal surgeries) in one or more veterinary species is advisable.
• Working experience in Asia is beneficial.

Languages

• English.
• Mandarin/Sichuanese is advantageous.

Education / Qualification

• Veterinary degree.
• Continually up to the date with current veterinary board’s CPD requirements.

About the Organisation

Animals Asia is devoted to ending bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals across Asia. We’ve been rescuing bears from lives of cruelty and giving them the safety and care they deserve for over 25 years. Through our sanctuaries, education and policy change, we’re building a kinder world for all animals.