Veterinary Surgeon — Full-Time, Emergency and Critical Care

Pet Emergency Hospital, Dublin €78,000 – €82,500 · average under 30 hours a week

A full-time post at Pet Emergency Hospital does not come up often. We have been treating emergency cases in Dublin for 23 years, and we have an experienced team, most of whom have been with us for years. This is a permanent full-time role for a vet who would like to provide the highest standard of care in emergency medicine with experienced colleagues around them.

About us

Pet Emergency Hospital provides out-of-hours emergency cover for a network of first-opinion practices across Ireland. We are based at UCD Veterinary Hospital, and there are established referral pathways between the two, so cases that need continuing care can be transferred easily.

The hospital is led by an experienced emergency and critical care (ECC) team. Our nursing team is permanent and ECC-certified, so you work with the same colleagues from one shift to the next.

We work to current evidence in emergency and critical care, and we maintain our own clinical guidelines, which are reviewed and updated internally as the evidence changes.

Patient safety, the safety of our staff and the experience of our clients are treated as part of clinical quality and they come first when we make decisions.

The rota is deliberately built by an experienced ECC clinician to limit fatigue, with no more than three shifts in a row and a mix of short, day and overnight shifts so that there is time to recover between them. We are committed to maintaining staffing levels on shifts to maximise clinical care and patient safety.

The role

You will look after emergency consultations and inpatients across your rostered shifts, working alongside our vets, nurses and animal care assistants.

• Assessing, triaging and stabilising emergency presentations
• Taking primary responsibility for inpatients under your care, including overnight critical patients
• Performing and interpreting diagnostics, including imaging, blood gas and bedside ultrasound
• Carrying out emergency surgical and anaesthetic procedures appropriate to your experience
• Working with the nursing team on inpatient standards and monitoring
• Communicating with owners and with referring practices, including next-morning handover
• Keeping accurate clinical records and working to PEH protocols

Hours and rota

1,560 contracted hours a year, an average of under 30 hours a week, worked on a fixed five-week rolling pattern that has been in place for four years.

• A full week off is built into every five-week cycle. This is separate from annual leave
• Four weeks' annual leave a year in addition
• The pattern is fixed and rolling, so you can see your shifts a year ahead
• No more than three shifts in a row, and a mix of short, day and overnight shifts arranged so that there is time to recover between them
• Breaks are paid

We are happy to go through the full rota pattern with you before you apply.

What we offer

• Salary of €78,000 to €82,500 depending on experience, with overtime paid on top
• Certificate fees paid in full. We will fund and support you through an ECC certificate
• A CPD allowance in addition to certificate funding
• VCI and VDS fees paid in full
• A modern, well-equipped hospital, including digital radiography, ultrasound, endoscopy, in-house blood gas and haematology, dedicated wards and a fully equipped theatre
• A permanent, ECC-certified nursing team

Induction and support

Emergency work is different from day practice, and we do not expect anyone to arrive already knowing how we do things. Our induction is structured:

• A defined induction programme, completed online before you start, so that you are familiar with our protocols before your first shift
• Shadow shifts before you are rostered independently, working alongside an experienced vet and seeing how the hospital runs
• Mentorship from experienced ECC vets, with regular case discussions built into how the team works
• Targeted CPD through your first year, planned around the areas you would like to develop

This is why formal ECC experience is welcome but not essential. If your clinical judgement is sound and you would like to develop in emergency medicine, we can support you through that.

Support during shifts

• Most shifts are not sole charge. The rota is built so that a second vet is on during the busier periods
• An ECC-certified nursing team is on every shift, and they are experienced and permanent
• The on-shift team uses a group chat for clinical support, so a second opinion is available quickly at any hour
• The Clinical Director is contactable for clinical advice at any time

Who we are looking for

• Registered with the Veterinary Council of Ireland, or eligible to register
• The right to work in Ireland. We are not in a position to sponsor employment permits for this post
• At least three years in small animal practice. Formal ECC experience is welcome but not essential, and we will train the right person
• Sound clinical judgement and confidence in making decisions in an emergency setting
• Someone who works well with nurses and treats them as clinical colleagues
• Clear and calm communication with owners, often at a difficult time for them
• An interest in continuing to develop clinically and in improving standards of care

Apply

Please send your CV and a short cover note to us by Tuesday 1st September 2026. The post starts in November 2026, or earlier if you are available, and we will work around your notice period.

If you would prefer to talk it through first, email [email protected] marked for the attention of Claire Desmond, Clinical Director, and she will come back to you for an informal and confidential conversation. You are very welcome to ask questions before deciding whether to apply.