veterinary technician

veterinary assistant

veterinarian

veterinary nurse

veterinary receptionist

Used to be a very enjoyable place to work. Old management were helpful and cared about their employees. I LOVED coming to work.  Ever since ~2021 (seemingly after covid?) the Calgary locations have been going downhill as they DGAF about their employees or the complaints and issues we see. The management is TOXIC, and it's only getting worse. I have witnessed this company lose 25+ employees in just administrative staff over the last 3 years due to the toxic environment. The previous employees before new management came in had been in that position for years ( they have since ALL quit). They gaslight their employees to be honest and come speak to them if you have ideas, or complaints or anything but when you do they immediately shut you down and/or you get in trouble for it. Several times, staff have brought up issues over and over and over and complained that things are falling apart and mgmt only started to listen after people quit and they were severely short staffed.  We were so short staffed that there were several days where only 2 people were scheduled to work, typically there are 6 throughout the day, (there used to be 8).  Staff hated this job so much that 2 employees a day were calling in sick as they didn't want to come, and no one on shift cared, as we all understood the desire to not want to come in.  They increased the starting pay for new employees to encourage more people to accept this job because turnover is so high, and when previous staff  of 2+ years found out that NEW HIRES were getting paid more than them, management simply stated that employees shouldn't be discussing wage and that they couldn't increase  their wage.  Oh and then they took away all of the support staff bonuses to "help the new budget outline". They changed the shifts from 10 hours to 11 hours when everyone voiced they did not want this, and then they changed the shift rotation to 5 on 5 off 2 on 2 off (which is awful when you're working an 11 hour shift). They did this schedule because they are trying to cut down how many receptionists they needed to hire to save a few bucks. The new management came in to help organize the company, turns out new manager is a gossip who just wants to text all of the favourite employees and talk badly about anyone they don't like. All of the team leads are buddy buddy with each other and if one of them doesn't like you, they will gang up on you and bully you, but discretely enough that you can't complain to HR. They all have each others cell numbers and so if you tell management anything in private (which is supposed to be confidential), all of the besties know about it (I know this as several of us have caught them slipping up with information they shouldn't know). The actual interaction with customers and the pets is amazing and so fun, the other staff in the services are amazing, but the entire organization and management is going to run this place into the ground. 

In the 3 years as an employee at VCA Secord, I learned that the best part of the job was the colleagues that I worked with. Most of us worked together as a team in order to make sure that we were providing the best care for our patients,  and we would never hesitate to stay later to help each other and cover each other's shifts when needed.  

The worst part of the job was the hospital management and the company as a whole. VCA only cares about the money they're getting from the clients, and not at all concerned about what they pay their employees. For a company that says they pride themselves on a good work-life balance for their employees, they have no issues with having their employees work 50-60 hours a week since they continuously say they're in a hiring freeze and have no money to pay their employees a living wage. They would rather overwork their understaffed hospitals, than pay a living wage. The hospital management also likes to spend more time gossiping with their employees, than covering shifts and helping out the team when people are off sick. Management is dismissive of their younger employees, while overworking them, while allowing their older employees to leave in the middle of their shifts for personal appointments. Management will do anything to avoid confrontation even if it creates a hostile and tense world environment among their employees. Management and VCA don't care about their employees as they aren't the ones being overworked and underpaid, as well as the fact that they aren't working with the clients and patients that come in.

I worked for VCA a short amount of time. I've been in the veterinary field for over 20 years, with  9+ years of experience in Veterinary Emergency Medicine. Initially I worked for a small practice with vets/owners being local natives (it was busy but great and had a sense of family). It was purchased by VCA and unfortunately that small town, local practice feeling is immediately taken away because you are now working for a large  conglomerate.  I was working for below the average wage for my experience and years in the field. When I asked for a raise, (which I didn't ask for much more than what I was already making) I was denied and told I make enough. When I presented the OAVT wage survey and showed them that I was actually below the scale I should be paid, I was presented with "we will get back to you" and no one ever did, and I felt ignored and unappreciated. With that experience, I left. (Only to find out later my position needed to be filled with 3 more staff members to accomplish the work I did). Had they just actually considered evaluating what I did, actually cared for the role that veterinary technicians play in their business,  and compensated adequately, they would have saved money by increasing the salary rather then paying the salary of 3 more employees to replace me.  These companies don't care for the animals, or their employees. All they care about is making money and profiting from the overworked, underpaid staff they acquire.  

When I joined the Kew Beach team, I was hopeful for a supportive and growth-oriented workplace where I could learn and contribute. Unfortunately, the reality was quite different. The environment was marked by passive-aggressive behavior, cliques, and constant gossip, which made it difficult to feel comfortable or truly part of the team.

What hurt the most were the rude and unfair comments directed at me—blaming me for mistakes I didn’t make and responding with condescension rather than support. It was exhausting to try to grow and do my best when respect and kindness were often missing.

On top of that, there was little opportunity for advancement or fair compensation. For example, someone with three years of experience at the company earned barely more than I did, which felt discouraging and unfair.

All in all, the toxic culture and lack of genuine support made this a very difficult place to work. I cannot recommend this location for anyone seeking a healthy, respectful, and rewarding professional environment.

In my opinion, after working for this company for 2 years, VCA is a terrible company to own vet clinics! They do not know how to show appreciation to their loyal and hard-working employees, and they could care less about you because they are such a huge company. They claim to care about their employees, but when it comes down to it.. they really don't, do not waste your time and energy after the first red flag.  You are definitely better off working for a smaller business-owned company where you will receive the appreciation you deserve and the utmost respect. If you work for VCA Canada, do not expect to receive a decent raise, no matter the length of time you have been employed there. No matter your job title.. expect to be asked to do way more beyond that and work your butt off without receiving a raise. As someone who is going to be in this healthcare field for the rest of their life.. this will surely be the most exhausting part of it all.. working for VCA. I cannot express enough how disgusting it is that a multi-billion dollar company cannot afford to give their employees a decent wage so they do not have to live week to week. The number of excuses and promises this company makes is hysterical.. please save your time and your sanity. Don't accept less than you're worth!!

I think it really depends on who you are and which clinic you work at! Some are functional some are not! My clinic had the most wonderful people, manager(s) and vets that I would trust with my life to work with, but the pay was so little for everyone (excluding veterinarians) even for the vet technicians compared to the demanding work load not to mention the physical and mental toll! On average in one shift I got 10,000 steps in a tiny clinic. I worked at a location where the receptionist was also the vet assistant, tech assistant, and boarding attendant all in one shift for 15$/hour, although when we were not understaff they had it organized a little more efficiently! Some clinics have a separation between all those jobs some are combined! If you love animals and don’t mind the grunt work and the longer hours then I say it’s worth it especially if your just starting off! But do make sure to prioritize yourself and self care especially mentally wise. Do some research on the clinic and staff before you apply and find what works for you ! Hope this helps someone! 


Working at VCA  was a disappointing experience. The work culture was negative, marked by a palpable lack of compassion for both employees and clients. Management seemed solely motivated by profit, often at the expense of employee well-being. VCA is apparently suffering financially and as a result I watched some of my wonderful coworkers get laid off (yet as a corporation they continue to buy out private practices?). The company consistently underpaid its employees, leaving us feeling undervalued and under appreciated. 

Benefits were poor, falling far short of what one would expect in the veterinary field. It's disheartening to have entered a profession driven by a passion for animal care, only to find myself working for a corporation that prioritized profits over patients and employees. VCA needs a significant overhaul to create a more humane and equitable workplace for its dedicated staff. They will continue to have high staff turnover because of these issues. I will never work for VCA ever again, and will ensure my family and friends do not support their clinics either. 

It took me time to write this review but if you have any self worth you will not work for this company. Management treats not only the employees like absolute garbage but also the people's pets as well. All my co workers were wonderful and seeing the animals everyday was a blessing. But the blatant favouritism, seeing everything and everyone as dollar signs and the increased work load is not worth the trouble. 

Management does not care for your well being nor does it care for your animals. I would never board my pet at their facilities because I know how little time staff are given to actually have one on one time with the animals. If you even try to report actual problems you are yelled at, talked down upon, then sent a email so they can cover their butts. 

Management preaches teamwork but will call you out if you actually help your fellow co-workers out. The entire place becomes like a high school. Gossip and little clicks, you have a problem? Too bad deal with it your only being paid minimum wage to work 10 hours straight. There are many other vet clinics and kennels you can work at do not work here. Until management changes their egotistical rampage they will continue to see workers dropping like flies. 

Management is unhelpful to staff and expects staff to pull all of the weight. The management team is two-faced and shows no signs of being proactive.  VCA as a whole is a waste of time and overall not a good company to work for. They take no initiative and are extremely unempathetic.  They hire the first people they interview and do not train properly and then expect current team members to deal with it. Management will clip your wings and squash your potential, there is no growing here. Every decision management makes is without logic and with no account of how it is going to affect current staff. VCA has no problem donating tens of thousands of dollars worth of pet supplies to their partners but will not raise staff wages. The work here was meaningless and a waste of time. I barely learned anything. The most enjoyable part of the job was the friendly people that I had met while working here. They are what kept me going (aside from the money). Until VCA laid people off because of lack of work and everyone started resigning because they had enough. 

Every hospital in their network is a little different, but looks like there is a general trend of poor management. High turnover and hard to not only keep but hire new staff across all positions. Went without a raise for a few years even through the worst of Covid-19. From people who left, low pay is an overwhelming reason why. Definitely feels like a huge corporate company no matter how much they say they aren't. Unreasonable pressure for time restrictions on some tasks across the hospital. They do promote better veterinary medicine with higher standards which I appreciate, but it's hard to implement when not enough resources are provided. Woofware looks pretty, but needs extreme streamlining (even clients commenting on how many buttons need to be clicked!). Have gotten a more negative opinion with more time passing. Other employees have usually been fine or good to work with. I think managers often try the best with what they are given, but frankly it isn't enough with so many places offering more.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Veterinary technician 3 salaries reported	$27.00 per hour
Veterinary assistant 1 salary reported	$19.00 per hour
Veterinarian 2 salaries reported	$124,982 per year
Veterinary nurse 2 salaries reported	$26.25 per hour
Veterinary receptionist 1 salary reported	$21.00 per hour

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