Veterinary Surgeon (3248)

Do you want to help create a better world for animals? At the RSPCA, we believe animal welfare is everyone's welfare. Join us in creating a better world for every animal. We can do it if we work together, everyone for every animal.

Choose a career with us and make a difference.

We are looking for a new team member as a Vet Surgeon to join us at our West Hatch Animal Centre.

• Working hours: We require someone to work on a 7 hour per week basis (1 day a week). The day may vary and include weekend shifts. 

It's important to us that you feel part of our team from the start. We like to keep in touch with regular check-ins and team meetings. There's always a teammate around for support or a quick chat.

Are you ready to join our movement?

We think this role's going to be popular and are expecting to attract high interest so we strongly encourage early applications to avoid missing out - closing date is 17th June 2026

Here at RSPCA no two days are the same, as a Vet Surgeon, we've added a short summary of what a typical day might look like, for a full insight please refer to the attached job description. Our expert team at West Hatch Animal Centre provides life saving veterinary care to thousands of animals rescued by RSPCA frontline officers. They also provide vital support to rescued animals being cared for at RSPCA centres. We do not provide treatment for people's pets.

You will be responsible for overseeing the rehabilitation of injured/ill strays and victims of cruelty and neglect and demonstrating competence across veterinary disciplines, 

You will also be responsible for:

• Dentistry
• Neutering and other soft tissue surgery
• Shelter medicine
• Some sole charge
• Participating in off site work around once a week for shelter medicine work with our local branches and centres.
• Implementing RSPCA policies in regards to the re-homability of animals including decision making on individual cases
• Welfare support work for the RSPCA Inspectorate.

• Interest or previous experience in shelter medicine
• A pragmatic welfare oriented approach
• Happy to handle dogs, cats, small furries and possibly bird and wildlife initial triage (although not expected to be an expert on wildlife)
• 2 years + previous clinical experience preferred
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to work autonomously and make informed decisions
• Great communication skills 
• In line with above you will have the ability to explain complex clinical and welfare decisions in a clear and compassionate way to a variety of non-clinical staff, including the Animal Center teams and Inspectorate

Essential Requirements -

• Drivers License is essential for this position due to consistent travel across the region.

Successful candidates for certain RSPCA roles will need to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK as we are unable to sponsor visas.

We want to ensure we do all we can to give you a positive candidate experience through our recruitment. Whilst we do try to give feedback where we can, sometimes due to receiving high levels of applications, this may not always be possible

Our vision is a world where all animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion. Our purpose is to inspire everyone to create a better world for animals. We are building the future of a diverse Society, and our priority is to support animal welfare by finding people from all backgrounds who are committed  to our purpose.  For this reason we actively encourage a wide diversity of applications - in particular from members of minority ethnic groups, and people with disabilities - as these candidates are currently under-represented at the RSPCA. Your transferable skills & lived experiences could make you a valuable addition to our RSPCA Family! 

We're here to support you and encourage you to let us know if you need any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please feel free to contact us at resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk or 0300 123 0685 so we can ensure the process works for you.