Veterinary technicians are trained professionals who work alongside veterinarians to provide medical care to both domesticated and wild animals.
This career is great for people who love animals. However, the work of a vet tech can be quite challenging and even dangerous at times.
Nevertheless, as a veterinary technician, the amount of satisfaction you will gain from helping animals each day will far outweigh any negative aspects of the career.
There are many places where vet techs can choose to work including animal clinics, zoos, aquariums and government facilities. Here, we will be discussing vet techs who choose to work in facilities that are overseen by the government.
City or County Animal Shelters
Most areas have a city or county-run animal shelter that takes in stray animals when necessary. Since the space in city-run shelters is often limited, these types of facilities typically only house cats and dogs.
However, county-run shelters usually have more space and many can accommodate domesticated, wild and even farm animals.
While some of the animals housed in shelters were once strays, others were either abandoned or given up by their owners. Additionally, many of them may be sick, injured and/or have questionable medical histories.
At times, shelters can become quite overcrowded requiring the facility to put some of the animals to sleep. As such, while working at a shelter can be rewarding, it can also be quite stressful.
State-Funded Colleges and Universities
State-funded colleges and universities that have divisions for animal care and research often employ veterinary technicians to help with medical care and various research projects. Jobs such of these are quite similar to those in typical animal clinics or hospitals, and many of the responsibilities of these vet techs are similar as well.
However, since these veterinary technicians help care for animals in a teaching environment, they often have the opportunity to see treatment methods that are brand new and have yet to be used in animal clinics or hospitals. They may also see some medical cases that they would not otherwise see outside of the teaching environment.
Miscellaneous Government Facilities
Other government agencies that often employ veterinary technicians include the United States Department of Agriculture and various research facilities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture hires vet techs as part of their Animal Health Emergency Response Team to help respond to various animal disease outbreaks that may occur in the U.S.
Government-run research facilities also employ vet techs to help provide medical care to animals that are used in research labs.
Some of the most common responsibilities of these types of vet techs include feeding and grooming animals, observing their appearance and behavior, and providing them with basic medical care.
These are the most common government-related jobs where veterinary technicians may choose to work. There are many benefits to choosing to work in a government facility including excellent wages, job security and benefit packages that often include such things as health and dental insurance, retirement packages and paid vacations.