Veterinary Technician Emergency, Alta Vista Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre

Emergency RVT

Department: Emergency - New Grads Welcome!

Location: Ottawa, ON

Employment Type: Full-time

Job Status: Existing

Compensation: $19.00 to $38.00 per hour, depending on experience and skills.

Alta Vista Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre keeps growing and we are welcoming Registered Veterinary Technicians to join our Emergency Team in Ottawa, Ontario.

We offer 24-hour emergency and critical care services in our state-of-the-art purpose-built hospital. If you love a fast-paced, action-packed shift and are looking for more variety during your day, then this is the place for you!

What You Will Do

• Patient Assessment & Triage: Perform physical assessments, monitor vital signs, and support emergency triage.
• Anesthesia & Recovery: Monitor patients through induction, maintenance, and post-operative recovery.
• Technical Care & Diagnostics: Place catheters, collect samples, run in-house lab tests, and take diagnostic radiographs.
• Surgical & Procedure Support: Prepare surgical suites, assist during procedures, and support emergency interventions.
• Pharmacy & In-Hospital Treatments: Dispense medications and administer treatments under the guidance of the veterinary team.
• Schedule: Our hospital teams work with 10 to 12 hours shifts, including a rotation of days, evenings, weekends and overnights.

What You Will Bring

• Completion of a Veterinary Technician or Animal Health Technician program, with eligibility for registration in the applicable province.
• Strong knowledge of patient care, anesthesia, pharmacology, and clinical procedures.
• Strong technical skills, including venipuncture, IV catheter placement, anesthesia monitoring, laboratory procedures, and patient assessment.
• Ability to safely handle and restrain animals using appropriate techniques.
• Excellent communication, organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Compassionate, patient-focused approach to animal care.
• Commitment to continuing education and ongoing professional development.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and schedules.

What We Can Offer You

• Competitive compensation that reflects your skills, experience, and the role.
• Shift premiums: additional compensation premiums for on-call, evening, and overnight shifts (where applicable).
• RRSP Employer Group Match Program (5%) to help you save for the future.
• Paid time off for continuing education, vacation, sick days, and personal wellness days.
• Annual CE Allowance.
• Benefits: Minimum 24 hours per week for eligibility, with flexible options.
• Paid annual certification memberships and uniform allowance.
• Mental health support tools and resources: Virtual health care (telemedicine), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and digital wellness tools supporting mindfulness, sleep, and physical fitness.
• Various career development pathways.
• Generous personal pet care discounts and lifestyle perks, including exclusive shopping discounts and access to a wellness app

Our hospital: At Alta Vista Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre (AVSE), we’ve been a proud, trusted part of the Ottawa veterinary community for over six decades! With our new location, we have an expansive, purpose-built hospital. Designed from the ground up for advanced medicine and team well-being, our facility brings 24/7 emergency care and extensive multidisciplinary specialty departments all under one roof – including Critical Care, Surgery, Neurology, Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, and Dentistry. When you join us, you’ll work alongside a collaborative, supportive group of board-certified specialists, emergency veterinarians, and skilled technicians who believe in fostering true mentorship, championing full-scope of technical practice, and delivering exceptional patient and client care every single day.

Our Story

VCA Canada is a network of veterinary hospitals, with our head office in Calgary, Alberta, committed to positively impacting pets, people, and local communities for nearly 45 years. We have compassion for the neighbourhoods we serve and every pet within them, not just those we see in our hospitals. Every VCA Canada hospital location takes pride in its legacy of excellence, earning the trust of pet owners by delivering the highest quality of medicine to keep pets happy and healthy.

In 2017, VCA Canada became part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of brands, solidifying an even stronger commitment to ensuring the strength and stability of the veterinary profession and our commitment to pet parents nationwide. VCA Canada is also passionate about providing an industry-leading Associate experience to over 4,000 Canadians employed across the country. In 2026, for the third year in a row, we were named one of Alberta's Top Employers, which recognizes organizations whose head offices are located within the province and lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Additionally, we were selected as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People 2026, which recognizes employers across Canada that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work and programs for young people starting their careers. Most recently, we received 2026 Great Place to Work® Certification™ Canada.

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