u/pony-dreamer

I’m an assistant at what’s currently a single vet small animal private practice. We operate in a gorgeous valley of north central Washington state that is an interesting anomaly of rural living - tons of outdoor recreation year round, and something to do any time one feels social. I moved here specifically for the cool community and beautiful land. A large chunk of the clinic clients have money and/or are part-timers from Seattle, the rest are low to medium income locals. I think overall people really respect the clinic. The alternative is at least an hour drive, and unfortunately most emergencies have to drive between one and three hours away.

Our vet is in her sixties and has been trying to hire another vet to join the practice and eventually take over for years. The clinic used to also serve large animals and still has the facilities. She’s paying a recruiter tens of thousands of dollars and so far no luck. What else can we do to get another vet out here? Is it hopeless? This also affects my interest in pursuing tech education.

I’ve been an assistant at a rural small animal clinic for almost six months, starting at $18 an hour, and there is no tech. The clinic is understaffed and slammed with work due to lack of care options in the area.

Recently they hired a front desk person starting at $19 an hour to replace the one that wanted to retire. I’m feeling a little bitter about it and like I already want to give up on working there. Even a $2 raise wouldn’t do much good here. What are the average pay rates of these jobs? The work feels meaningful but I’m already burnt out working weekends as a farrier to cover bills.