Description
Urgent Veterinary Care Pioneers Wanted – Join the Front Line Fight for Accessible Medicine in Texas
Are you looking for a role where you can bring your surgical and medical skills to help pets across the spectrum of care? Do you believe that things have gotten too expensive and you want to be able to help families who have been priced out by corporate price hikes?
Can you play an important role in a practice driven to serve its community and make vetcare accessible to everyone?
Are you a former shelter vet who is looking to move into a practice where you can bring your skills to families who will know how huge the work you do is each day?
Are you highly organized and action-oriented so you can work through a high-volume list each day?
If you do, then Veterinary Urgent Care, South Texas want to hear from you yesterday!
About Us
Veterinary Urgent Care Houston exists to serve the people and pets who've been left out of the system - by offering compassionate, evidence-based urgent care that meets people where they are, without judgment, shame, or compromise. This is care that centers access, dignity, and real-world impact - delivered by a team who believes veterinary medicine can do better.
Founded by Dr. Mackenzie Gallegos, a former shelter vet, this practice was built on the understanding that many families in our community have never been taught what veterinary care could be. They do what they can, when they can - and our team meets them exactly where they are. We put community first, deliver care without prejudice, and value shared wisdom over hierarchy.
Our approach centers on doing the right thing, not the easy thing. We offer clients a place where they can come for care without judgement. Many of our clients come to us having been turned away elsewhere. Most are doing the best they can with what they have, and our team meets them with options, not blame or shame.
We're a bridge between privilege and access, between clinical medicine and lived reality. This is veterinary care that's honest, pragmatic, and rooted in empathy - proof that urgent care can be both excellent and equitable.
Our team operates from a 1930s art deco building in East End Houston - a space that's raw, real, and full of potential. The building itself tells a story, having once been part of the animal welfare network. We've expanded to a second site in Beaumont, and we're growing a team who share the goal of making life better for pets and families in both locations. .
What makes this practice special is the ethos of service and a team culture we've built and fought hard to protect. This is where we finish each day laughing together, debrief tough cases with honesty, and step in for each other without being asked. Mistakes are learning opportunities. Boundaries are respected. Everyone - from techs to the practice manager - is trusted to lead.
Our vision is a team of veterinarians allied in purpose. Some weeks, we focus on managing the cases that come through our doors. Other weeks, we collaborate on bigger solutions to problems within the community. We create space for thoughtful conversation, shared planning, and problem-solving that goes beyond the day's caseload - whether it's developing outreach initiatives, shaping workflow across both sites, or learning from each other.
If you believe urgent care can be excellent, equitable, and team-led - and you're ready to help shape an essential community service - we'd love to meet you.
About the Role
This is an urgent care role that leans more toward ER/Shelter medicine than GP (there’s a heavy emphasis on surgery and doing things that work quickly and effectively). But with a fundamentally different culture. The pace is fast, the cases are diverse, and your techs will be your lifeline, they do a huge amount more than in most clinics and together the vets and techs make an awesome team. You'll treat a wide range of conditions, including walk-in emergencies like wounds, parvo, trauma and blocked cats. You'll also see standard cases like skin conditions, ear infections, GI issues, and vaccines - but expect a consistent and high surgical load and real variety. Every day brings something different.
You'll be expected to:
- Triage effectively and make evidence-led, but pragmatic decisions
- Collaborate with your team to deliver treatment plans that meet clients where they are - medically, emotionally, physically and financially
- Communicate clearly and respectfully with both clients and staff, especially during difficult conversations
- Delegate confidently to your tech team, who are trained, trusted, and ready to help
- Contribute to a learning-focused environment where everyone, including you, is growing
- We practice spectrum-of-care medicine informed by current research - not cutting corners. If you're open to evidence-based trade-offs, flexible thinking, and creative problem-solving, you'll thrive here.
About You
You're driven by purpose, not just practice. The technical skills can be taught - but your commitment to accessible, dignified veterinary care cannot. You believe that excellent medicine doesn't require gold-standard budgets, and you're energized by the challenge of delivering compassionate care that meets people where they are.
You bring resilience and empathy in equal measure. This work can be emotionally demanding. You'll need the emotional intelligence to navigate difficult conversations with grace, the resilience to handle the weight of serving struggling families, and the detail-focus to maintain clinical excellence even when resources are limited.
You're people-focused first. Your clinical skills are tools for helping people - not an end in themselves. You understand that behind every pet is a family doing their best, and you approach each interaction with curiosity rather than judgment.
You thrive on collaboration. You don't need to have all the answers, but you do need to be willing to problem-solve alongside your team. You see mentorship as a two-way street - ready to learn from others and share what you know.
You might be a former shelter vet looking for deeper community connection, or someone who's felt constrained by corporate protocols that don't serve real families. You might be a new graduate drawn to mission-driven work, or an experienced vet ready to practice medicine that aligns with your values.
What matters most is that you're committed to this type of medicine - the kind that proves care can be accessible without compromising quality, and sustainable without losing sight of why we became veterinarians in the first place.
Who This Job Is (and Isn't) For
This job is for you if you:
Believe medicine should be accessible and humane - not just gold-standard or bust
Value teamwork, clear boundaries, and a shared sense of humor
Want to practice real medicine without the corporate constraints
Have the humility to learn, and the confidence to speak up
Are open to mentorship as both giver and receiver
Have solid surgical skills
Are open to delegation of much of your vet work to your techs.
Have a solid basic surgical skill base and can move quickly in the OR.
This job isn't for you if you:
Think "accessible" means "low-quality"
See protocol deviation as a threat, not a discussion
Need a pristine, state-of-the-art facility to do your best work
Want minimal client interaction or emotional investment
Aren't ready to grow alongside a developing practice
Think vet techs are “just” anesthesia watchers and cleaners.
You aren’t a fan of a fast-paced hospital.
What Makes This Job Awesome
You'll join a close-knit team that genuinely cares - not just about patients, but about each other.
You'll work alongside an owner who remains actively involved in clinical work, still doing surgery, mentoring techs, and working cases at the front lines.
You'll collaborate with highly capable, empowered technicians who work at the top of their skill set. Our tech team is trained to take initiative, manage communications, and handle complex tasks with confidence - so you can focus on diagnosing, leading, and treating.
You'll make tangible impact in a community that deserves better - and you'll do it backed by shared values and genuine support.
You'll work hard, but you'll go home knowing you gave people and pets a chance they might not have had otherwise.
If you've ever felt like you had to choose between meaningful work and sustainable life, know this: we're here to prove you don't.
The Practical Details
Positions Available in:: Houston & Beaumont, TX.
Salary: Starting at $140,000, with potential up to $180,000 depending on experience
Benefits include:
Health, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) with 3% match
2+ weeks PTO
CE allowance ($3,000)
Licensing and professional fees paid
Profit-sharing potential
Staff discount (at cost)
Relocation support available for the right candidate
Future equity/ownership discussions are on the table
Schedule: Typically 3 x 12-hour shifts/week (flexible, consecutive preferred)
Spanish language skills are a plus, but not essential (our techs have your back)
New grads welcome with tailored mentorship
How to Apply
If you've read this far and feel called to be part of this team of caring individuals, we want to hear from you.
Please send your CV and a cover letter explaining what urgent care means to you to [email protected]. Your application doesn't need to be polished - it just needs to be honest.
We're not perfect. But we're real. And for the right person, this could be the work of a lifetime.
