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Associate Veterinarian| Up To $40k in Sign On Bonuses | Village Animal Hospital | Lexington, KY

Village Animal Hospital Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
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Overview

As a veterinarian at Heartland Veterinary Partners, you will provide quality care to patients and empathetic service to clients. You will partner with other veterinarians, technicians, and client service representatives to operate as an efficient and productive team.

Success in this role takes a collaborative mindset while operating as an independent branch of Heartland. This is an opportunity to expand your skillset while using your excellent communication and interpersonal skills and passion for patient care to build a productive and rewarding career.

When you join us, you will make a real difference in the lives of our patients and clients. You will also become a valued member of our team and contribute to the success of our practice.

Village Animal Hospital

Job Details

Practice:

Village Animal Hospital is a local, small animal care clinic, serving the greater Lexington area since 1970. From the start, we have prioritized progressive, up-to-date medical practices to provide the best care for pets.

Position Purpose:

Associate Veterinarian

Village Animal Hospital | Lexington, Kentucky

Are you looking for a veterinary home where high-quality medicine, individualized patient care, and a truly supportive team come together? Village Animal Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky is excited to add an Associate Veterinarian to our growing team!

Village Animal Hospital is a well-established, small animal practice that has proudly served the greater Lexington community since 1970. Located on Harrodsburg Road, our hospital has a long-standing reputation for providing compassionate, progressive veterinary care while building meaningful relationships with pets and the people who love them. The clinic emphasizes individualized care and offers services including wellness visits, vaccinations, diagnostics, surgery, dental care, home care, and laser therapy.

Our hospital is also AAHA Accredited, a Certified Cat Friendly Practice, and employs Certified Fear Free Professionals, reflecting our commitment to thoughtful, high-standard medicine in a low-stress environment for patients.

Why Village Animal Hospital?

At Village Animal Hospital, you’ll find a team that values excellent medicine, client education, and genuine compassion. Our doctors and support team work together to provide the best possible experience for every patient and client who walks through our doors.

The practice is led by Dr. Kim Sears, a Central Kentucky native and Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine graduate who purchased Village Animal Hospital in 1998. Dr. Sears has built the hospital around high standards of veterinary care and service. The team also includes Dr. Heather Darnall, a Kentucky native and Auburn graduate whose professional interests include shelter medicine, dermatology, and preventative medicine.

This is a great opportunity for a veterinarian who enjoys small animal general practice, values teamwork, and wants to practice in a hospital with strong roots in the community.

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking an Associate DVM who is compassionate, collaborative, and excited to build lasting client and patient relationships. This opportunity could be a great fit for an experienced veterinarian or a newer graduate looking for a supportive environment with high-quality medical standards.

The ideal candidate will enjoy:

  • Practicing progressive, relationship-based small animal medicine
  • Preventative care, diagnostics, surgery, dentistry, and client education
  • Working with a collaborative and welcoming team
  • Providing thoughtful, low-stress care for cats and dogs
  • Building trust with clients and becoming part of a long-standing Lexington practice

Life in Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is one of Kentucky’s most loved cities — and for good reason. Known as the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington offers the perfect blend of rolling Bluegrass countryside, beautiful horse farms, Keeneland, bourbon culture, great restaurants, shopping, local events, and a vibrant downtown scene.

It’s big enough to offer plenty to do, but still has that welcoming Kentucky feel. From horse country and the Distillery District to the University of Kentucky, local parks, and nearby small towns, Lexington is a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. And as someone who lives just 20 minutes away, I can personally say it is an easy place to love.

What We Offer

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, including:

  • Competitive base salary
  • Production opportunity
  • Sign-on bonus potential
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k)
  • CE allowance
  • Professional dues and license support
  • Mentorship and growth opportunities
  • Supportive leadership and a collaborative team environment

Join Us

If you’re looking for a practice where you can provide high-quality medicine, feel supported by your team, and enjoy living in one of Kentucky’s best communities, we would love to connect with you.

Come join Village Animal Hospital and be part of a Lexington practice with deep community roots, excellent standards of care, and a team that truly loves what they do.

Essential Responsibilities:

  • Examine and treat companion animals to detect and determine the nature of disease or injuries.
  • Operate diagnostic equipment and collect diagnostic samples as well as interpret results.
  • Advise pet owners on preventative care and treatment options.
  • Perform surgery and prescribe medication as needed.
  • Provide counsel around pet end of life care.
  • Maintain patients’ medical records.
  • Ensures compliance with veterinary ethics and relevant statues, policies, and procedures.

Requirements/Qualifications:

  • DVM/VMD degree from an accredited AVMA institution.
  • Appropriate state licensure.
  • Eligibility to obtain DEA/BNDD.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Demonstrates professional and courteous presentation consistently with staff and clients.
  • Ability to lift patients and carry equipment up to 25 pounds; ability to lift patients or carry equipment over 25 pounds with assistance.

Benefits Offered:

  • Unlimited personal time
  • Bonus incentives
  • Health insurance; dental insurance; vision insurance
  • Retirement benefits (401(k), Roth(k) with match)
  • CE and licensure reimbursement 
  • Flexible work schedules
  • Managing career path development
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • DVM Referral Program
  • Mental Health Resources
  • Relocation assistance available

Pay Range:

USD $100,000.00 - USD $120,000.00 /Yr.
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Success Profile

We’re looking for passionate vets with the following traits:

  • Adaptable
  • Compassionate
  • Communicator
  • Critical Thinker
  • Collaborative
  • Empathetic

Culture

At Heartland Veterinary Partners, we believe that prioritizing care for veterinarians enables them to prioritize care for their patients. We offer several benefits and support programs to help veterinarians succeed, including:

Mentorship

We provide access to experienced mentors who can help our partners hone their craft and develop their skills, regardless of where they are in their career journey.

Choose Your Setting

We have practices in many states across the country with diverse settings and focuses, so our veterinarians can choose the environment that is best for them.

Work-Life Balance

We understand that our veterinarians have lives outside of the practice, and we are committed to helping them achieve balance.

Authentic Autonomy

Each practice is led locally, and we empower our teams to make all the clinical and inventory decisions to best meet the needs of the community they serve.

Support When it Matters Most

We support our veterinarians at every stage of their careers, from new graduates to experienced practitioners.

Vet examing a cat

Career Path

New Graduate

This is your first veterinary role after school. You’re getting your feet wet and putting that education to work gaining the experience you need to become the vet you know you can be.

Clinically Confident

You’ve been here a while and have your feet under you. You still have plenty of learning and growing to do, but you’re well on your way.

Learning to Lead

Thanks to your experience and dedication, you’ve earned the trust and respect of your community and established yourself as an example for other vets to follow.

Dr_Alexandra_Carter

“I love working at a Heartland-owned practice. They let us be ourselves with the support of a corporation. My relationship with our regional director is genuine and supportive. It’s obvious anytime company leadership addresses the practices that they genuinely care about our wellbeing and make decisions with our best interests in mind. We are extremely lucky to work for a company this down to earth.”

- Dr. Alexandra Carter, Managing DVM

Rewards

  • Reward1

    Generous Vacation Time

  • Reward2

    Comprehensive Health and Wellness Benefits

  • Reward3

    Flexible Scheduling

  • Reward4

    401(k) and Roth(k) with match

  • Reward5

    Continuing Education and Training Opportunities

  • Reward6

    Relocation Assistance

Happy Dog

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