Animal Care & Pet Services Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
California's animal care and pet services industry offers visa sponsorship opportunities across veterinary hospitals, animal shelters, and specialized pet care facilities. Major employers like VCA Animal Hospitals, Petco, and UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine sponsor international professionals in cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento.
Find Animal Care & Pet Services JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 514+ Animal Care & Pet Services Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California










See all 514+ Animal Care & Pet Services Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Animal Care & Pet Services Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California.
Get Access To All Jobs
INTRODUCTION
Want to help pets live their best lives?
We’re proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you.
Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what’s right for pets and people.
- Pet First – Protect & Empower. All pets should Live their Best Life. We put the needs of pets and pet parents at the center of everything we do.
- Foster the Fun – Connect & Bond. Our Passion for pets brings us together! We celebrate the journey of pet parenthood through district experiences, products, and services.
- Let’s Go! Own & Commit. We are stronger as One Petco team. We bring our unique superpowers and champion authenticity in everyone to drive success.
ABOUT THE JOB
About Petco:
We’re proud to be "where the pets go" to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years — from their favorite meals and toys, to trusted supplies and expert support from people who get it, because we live it. We believe in the universal truths of pet parenthood — the boundless boops, missing slippers, late night zoomies and everything in between. And we’re here for it. Every tail wag, every vet visit, every step of the way. We are 29,000+ strong and together we nurture the pet-human bond in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love. Together, we support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.
POSITION PURPOSE:
The purpose of this position inherently involves providing excellent medical care to our Vetco Total Care full-service hospital patients and phenomenal customer care to their owners. The Veterinary Assistant represents the mission and values to all clients. Our Veterinary Assistants set the tone for the technical and customer support in the hospital, and are responsible, like all team members, for fostering cohesion and motivation within the practice.
All hospital staff are responsible for performing their duties in a way that creates an environment in which:
- The patient’s needs always come first.
- Every team member understands that they have the power to do what it takes to create an exceptional customer experience.
- contentious issues are dealt with and resolved as they occur when possible, or as soon as is possible.
- exceptional teamwork and commitment to shared goals benefits the entire organization.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
The incumbent must be able to perform all the following duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation:
- Greet clients and patients arriving for appointments and escort them into an exam room, obtain weight and vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations) and record the electronic medical record. Veterinary Assistants will collect thorough patient histories and document the patient visit in the EMRs.
- Assist doctors with appointments (routine and emergency), surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia, under supervision from the veterinarian credentialed veterinary technician, HOM and HLOD.
- Perform patient restraint, obtain and process laboratory samples, handle and dispense medications at the direction of the veterinarian and help maintain the electronic medical record.
- Schedule appointments, provide client education, relay test results to doctor and clients, and maintain and update client/patient records.
- Help prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures and assist doctor and/or veterinary technician in anesthetizing patients. Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, assistants will maintain patients safely under anesthesia while monitoring vital parameters, help monitor patients during recovery and prepare them for hospital discharge or transfer to an overnight care facility.
- Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients including giving injectable and oral medications as well as intravenous fluid therapy; keep patients clean, watered, and fed (when indicated and directed by doctor), safely walk canine patients when necessary for elimination.
- Under direction of the HOM/HLOD, assist in the training of new staff members and general dissemination of knowledge as required.
- Keep hospital environment neat and clean; perform regular cleaning of environment based on necessity as well as based on a pre-determined maintenance schedule.
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Perform additional duties as assigned
- Provide backup phone and front desk support as needed
NATURE OF SUPERVISION
In all activities related to the care of individual patients, the incumbent will take direct supervision from the veterinarians as well as the Veterinary Technician. For purposes of overall supervision, the incumbent takes direction from the HOM/HLOD or from the supervising technician for the shift.
PLANNING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
Like all team members, the Veterinary Assistant plays a crucial role in ensuring that day-to-day operation of the hospital is efficient and provides an optimal experience for our patients and clients.
IMPACT
This position will impact the organization by contributing to the growth of productive practice while focusing on a high-quality standard of care. From an overall hospital organizational standpoint, this position is critical to ensuring that we have a cohesive, well-trained, and motivated technical team. The desired end-result is the creation of an optimal environment that ensures employee retention, patient well-being, and customer satisfaction.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
This position has no immediate supervisory duties.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
- Preferred to have at least 1-year previous experience working in veterinary practice or sufficient relatable animal care experience to ensure excellent performance at the above-listed skills
- Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Must be compassionate and sympathetic, and be able to maintain a professional attitude and demeanor during emotional and stressful situations
- Must have telephone and computer skills
- Must be a team player willing to learn new techniques and treatments, offer creative ideas, and accept change
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The majority of job duties are conducted in the Veterinary Hospital. Position requires bending, kneeling, lifting (up to 30 pounds, as necessary) and standing for long periods of time. A large amount of this partner’s time will be spent in direct contact with clients and their pets.
CONTACTS
This position will regularly communicate with clients, veterinary specialists, and companies that provide products and/or services that the practice utilizes.
Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
The pay ranges outlined below are presented in accordance with state-specific regulations. These ranges may differ in other areas and could be subject to variation based on regulatory minimum wage requirements. Actual pay rates will depend on factors such as position, location, level of experience, and applicable state or local minimum wage laws. If the regulatory minimum wage exceeds the minimum indicated in the pay range below, the regulatory minimum wage will be the minimum rate applied.
SALARY RANGE: $17.00 - $27.50
Hourly or Salary Range will be reflected above. For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO - see https://careers.petco.com/us/en/key-benefits (opens in new window)
Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.
LOCATION: 5507 Hollywood Blvd Suite A, Los Angeles, CA 90028 United States
JOB TYPE: Part time
WORK ARRANGEMENT: Not Remote
Animal Care & Pet Services Job Roles in California
See all 514+ Animal Care & Pet Services Jobs in California
Sign up for free to filter by visa type, set job alerts, and find employers with verified sponsorship history.
Search Animal Care & Pet Services Jobs in CaliforniaAnimal Care & Pet Services Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which animal care & pet services companies sponsor visas in California?
Major sponsors include VCA Animal Hospitals with over 200 California locations, Petco's corporate headquarters in San Diego, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and regional veterinary chains like BluePearl Specialty. Large animal hospitals in Los Angeles and San Francisco metro areas also sponsor veterinarians and specialized technicians.
Which cities in California have the most animal care & pet services sponsorship jobs?
Los Angeles leads with the highest concentration, followed by San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego. Sacramento offers opportunities through UC Davis connections, while Orange County and Riverside have growing veterinary markets. These metropolitan areas have the largest number of multi-location practices and specialty hospitals.
How to find animal care & pet services visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate specializes in connecting international professionals with California employers who sponsor visas for animal care roles. The platform filters specifically for sponsorship-willing employers in veterinary medicine, animal research, and pet services across all major California cities, showing current openings and employer sponsorship history.
Which visa types are most common for animal care & pet services roles in California?
H-1B visas are common for veterinarians and animal research scientists with specialty degrees. TN visas serve Canadian and Mexican veterinarians under USMCA provisions. O-1 visas may apply to internationally recognized veterinary specialists or researchers. J-1 visas are used for veterinary residency and fellowship programs at universities.
Are there state-specific considerations for animal care visa sponsorship in California?
California requires veterinary license reciprocity, which can affect timing for international veterinarians. The state's high cost of living impacts prevailing wage determinations for visa applications. University partnerships through UC Davis and Western University create additional pathways for research-focused positions and specialized veterinary training programs.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored animal care & pet services jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.