Description

Location: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Employment Type: Full-time
Wage: Starting at $66 hourly; consideration given for experience and qualifications
Signing / Relocation Bonus: Available for the right candidate
Schedule: Flexible weekday schedule, no evenings, no weekends, no on-call

Tartan Tails Veterinary Hospital, operated by the Nova Scotia SPCA, is seeking a Lead Veterinarian to help guide and strengthen our growing public-facing veterinary hospital in Dartmouth.

This is an exciting opportunity for a veterinarian who enjoys a busy clinical environment, values practical and compassionate medicine, and wants to help shape a social enterprise veterinary model grounded in Accessible Care and Spectrum of Care principles.

The ideal candidate will be a confident clinician and team leader who can help build consistent workflows, support strong medical decision-making, and contribute to a positive, efficient, and solutions-focused hospital culture.

About Tartan Tails

Tartan Tails Veterinary Hospitals are part of the Nova Scotia SPCA’s broader mission to improve animal welfare and help pets stay with the families who love them.

Our hospitals provide public-facing veterinary care while supporting the SPCA’s charitable mission. We believe excellent veterinary medicine should be compassionate, practical, timely, and accessible.

Our model is built around:

• Accessible veterinary care
• Spectrum of Care medicine
• Clear client communication
• Efficient appointment and surgical workflows
• Strong technical support
• Practical, proportionate clinical decision-making
• A team culture focused on solutions and continuous improvement

Join a Province-Wide Veterinary Team

The successful candidate will join a broader team of Nova Scotia SPCA veterinarians who share responsibility for ensuring the organization maintains a high level of service and care across the province.

Our veterinary team supports animals and their owners through services provided in our multiple Tartan Tails Veterinary Hospitals, our SPCA animal shelters throughout Nova Scotia, and our Nova Scotia SPCA College of Animal Welfare. The College currently trains future Veterinary Assistants and, beginning this fall, will welcome its first class of Veterinary Technician students.

This role is part of a larger provincial veterinary system focused on accessible care, shelter medicine, practical clinical decision-making, and building long-term veterinary capacity for animals and communities across Nova Scotia.

The Role

The Lead Veterinarian will be primarily based in the public-facing Tartan Tails Dartmouth hospital and will help guide the medical and operational development of the hospital.

This role includes:

• Providing high-quality medical, surgical, dental, and wellness care
• Leading a busy appointment and surgery schedule
• Supporting efficient patient flow and timely decision-making
• Helping develop and maintain hospital protocols and best practices
• Supporting and mentoring associate veterinarians and technical staff
• Working with hospital leadership to improve scheduling, workflow, pricing, and service delivery
• Modelling clear, practical client communication within a Spectrum of Care framework
• Helping build a positive, accountable, and collaborative hospital culture
• Supporting the long-term sustainability of Tartan Tails as a social enterprise veterinary hospital

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for a veterinarian who is:

• Confident in general practice medicine and surgery
• Comfortable in a busy, fast-paced hospital environment
• Able to move appointments and procedures forward efficiently while maintaining quality care
• Practical, calm, and solutions-focused
• Comfortable with Spectrum of Care and accessible-care medicine
• A strong communicator with clients and team members
• A collaborative leader who can support change and build trust
• Interested in helping shape a growing hospital model
• Eligible for licensure with the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association

Graduates of AVMA-accredited veterinary programs are strongly encouraged to apply. We welcome candidates trained in Canada, the United States, or internationally, provided they are eligible for licensure in Nova Scotia.

For candidates relocating from the United States, the Nova Scotia SPCA can provide support in understanding the licensure and relocation process.

Benefits

• Health and dental benefits
• RRSP matching
• Paid vacation
• Continuing education allowance
• Professional dues and licensing support
• VIN membership
• Medical and pet supply discounts
• Flexible weekday schedule
• Opportunity to help lead and shape a growing hospital
• Meaningful work connected to animal welfare and community impact

Why This Role Matters

This is a key leadership role in the next stage of Tartan Tails Dartmouth. The successful candidate will help build a public-facing hospital that is clinically strong, financially sustainable, team-focused, and deeply connected to the SPCA’s mission.

This is a role for someone who wants to practise good medicine, lead a capable team, and help create a veterinary model that makes care more accessible for animals and families.

How to Apply

Nova Scotia SPCA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified applicants, regardless of gender, race, age, sexuality, or disability. Preference will be given to candidates who self-identify as African Nova Scotians, racially visible persons, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal persons and persons of the LGBTQ+ community. We encourage applicants to self-identify.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a resume and cover letter to: [email protected]

Please indicate in the subject line that you are applying for the Lead Veterinarian — Tartan Tails Dartmouth position.

Applicants are encouraged to include their preferred availability, desired schedule, and areas of clinical interest.

Requirements

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for a veterinarian who is:

• Confident in general practice medicine and surgery
• Comfortable in a busy, fast-paced hospital environment
• Able to move appointments and procedures forward efficiently while maintaining quality care
• Practical, calm, and solutions-focused
• Comfortable with Spectrum of Care and accessible-care medicine
• A strong communicator with clients and team members
• A collaborative leader who can support change and build trust
• Interested in helping shape a growing hospital model
• Eligible for licensure with the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association

Graduates of AVMA-accredited veterinary programs are strongly encouraged to apply. We welcome candidates trained in Canada, the United States, or internationally, provided they are eligible for licensure in Nova Scotia.

For candidates relocating from the United States, the Nova Scotia SPCA can provide support in understanding the licensure and relocation process