What a veterinary assistant does
A veterinary assistant supports veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians with the hands-on work that keeps a clinic running. They restrain animals for exams and procedures, clean and restock exam rooms, care for hospitalized and boarding patients, prepare surgical packs, launder linens and often help at reception. Assistants are usually the people who walk dogs, clean kennels and comfort frightened cats, so their patience and attention to detail affect patient welfare and how clients see your clinic.
Veterinary assistant roles are not regulated in Ontario, and candidates range from college certificate graduates to people who have built their skills on the job. Finch asks about your caseload, the tasks you need covered and whether the role includes reception work. We screen for safe animal handling, reliability and a calm manner, and we are honest with candidates about the physical and emotional demands of clinic work so the people you meet are ready for them.
Typical responsibilities
- Restrain animals safely for examinations, sample collection and treatments
- Clean and disinfect exam rooms, kennels, surgical areas and equipment
- Feed, walk and monitor hospitalized and boarding patients
- Prepare and sterilize surgical instruments and packs
- Restock supplies and help with inventory counts
- Support the front desk with check-in, payments and phone calls when needed
Qualifications and credentials
- A veterinary assistant certificate from an Ontario college or private career college, which many employers prefer
- Hands-on experience handling dogs, cats or the other species your clinic treats
- Understanding of infection control, cleaning protocols and safe lifting
- Physical stamina for long shifts on their feet
- Willingness to learn your clinic's routines and software
Who hires a veterinary assistant
- Companion animal clinics
- Emergency hospitals with overnight inpatient care
- Veterinary clinics with boarding or daycare services
- Animal shelters and rescue organizations
- Spay-neuter and vaccination clinics
Where we recruit veterinary assistant candidates
We fill veterinary assistant roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Ask about animal handling with specific examples, including fearful or aggressive patients
- Confirm comfort with cleaning, kennel work and the less pleasant parts of the job
- Check availability for early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays
- Discuss how the candidate copes with euthanasia and emotional days
- Check references for reliability and teamwork
Interview questions to ask
- Describe a time you had to restrain a frightened animal. What did you do?
- How do you decide what to do first when the kennels, the phones and the veterinarians all need you?
- What do you find hardest about working with sick or injured animals?