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HELPING VETERINARIANS ACHIEVE A WORK LIFE BALANCE SINCE 2011

Veterinary
Relief &
Recruiting

Our Mission

Help veterinarians find a better work-life balance, whether it’s providing relief veterinarian services for a busy practice or empowering relief veterinarians to find work that fits their schedule and lifestyle.

Get Relief

Experienced Relief Veterinarians
Let our experienced relief veterinarians serve your patients just the way you like.

Find Work

Find Your Dream Job
Focus on patients, not paperwork, while choosing when and where you want to work

What is veterinary relief?

Relief veterinary services, or locum work, is where an experienced DVM works in or manages a veterinary practice for a limited time to cover for staffing shortages, sick and maternity leave, or vacations. Relief vets serve traditional clinics as well as exotics. Relief services time frames can range from short notice, single day shifts to long-term maternity leave coverage.

What makes a good relief veterinarian?

Relief work is not an internship or appropriate for new DVM graduates. Relief doctors need to be able to manage a small animal clinic independently, and that only comes with experience. A good fit for relief vet work:

  • Has years of experience in small animal medicine
  • Adapts to flexible scheduling
  • Has good communication skills
  • Has a high level of empathy
  • DABVP

Most relief positions are filled by independent contractors. A veterinary relief service can help clinics find relief on short notice and can help independent contractors fill their calendars with exclusive jobs.

Why Choose Holiday Vet?

By veterinarians, for veterinarians.

We’re known for our personal touch. Our caring schedulers get to know all their relief veterinarians and vet clinics to find a match that’s more than location and expertise. 

We try to find a personality and attitude match for you as well. Try doing that with an algorithm.

Most importantly, we schedule in advance to ensure that your dates are covered, so that you can make plans confidently. 

Relief Veterinarian FAQ

We recommend having at least 3 years of active experience in the profession before going to relief work.

Yes! Our variety of clients means that we have a flexible schedule of shifts available for you. Talk to a scheduling manager to find work that fits your calendar today!

Relief work can be seen as a dry run for having your own practice. But you don’t have to invest in all the equipment, manage technicians, or worry about any of the management issues as a relief vet. In both cases, you will work independently and make important decisions about animal care and customer relationships.

You can be a W2 employee with Holiday Vet, so your insurance and taxes would be managed by us. You can also choose to become independent, and you would manage your insurance and taxes yourself. Holiday Vet would be a contractor for you in that case.

Contact Us

We are not an emergency veterinarian service. Please contact your local 24-hour veterinarian for emergencies.