Work at a vca only to gain some experience and then get out - Certified Technician VCA Employee Review

1.0
Jan 19, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

good pet discounts, great coworkers, most doctors are wonderful and great to work with, flexible schedule, some sweet pets among the spoiled and poorly behaved ones...

Cons

poor pay, HORRIBLE health insurance with an unaffordable deductible, insulting pay raises (if any at all), no reviews, lack of recognition, lack of encouragement for technicians, constant feeling of guilt if you ever want to take a vacation. Management never acknowledges any contributions from the team and takes all the credit. Supervisors are put into those positions but then left with their hands tied in many situations but then questioned as to why certain things aren't done because it's "in their job description". Clueless regional team that honestly seems to know nothing about veterinary medicine, inept regional medical director that is unprofessional and unhelpful. Corporate puts money in areas that is wasteful, i.e. branding heart worm and flea and tick products to actually try and compete with internet pharmacies. Our hospital had broken equipment, faucets, kennel doors, cabinets, clogging drains, sharp metal pieces in cages, floors coming up, and nothing was ever fixed. Under-qualified and under-educated staff members were pushed into technician roles and forced into learning tech skills, often to the detriment of patients....it was cheaper to pay these people $11 an hour instead of paying a qualified technician. Technicians forced to do many tasks that are illegal in other states. If you were a qualified technician, VCA would prefer to mold you into a manager and had no interest in you furthering or enhancing your technician skills because they feel that technicians are a dime-a-dozen and are paid as such.

Explore other reviews about VCA

5.0
May 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Small animal, exotics, free care to wildlife, opportunities to work with zoo animals. Internal promotions to change all management has made the work environment very positive. Boarding facilities. Opportunity for certifying for internal crematory.

Cons

Pay rate less than expected for experience level. Corporate in California has increased prices every year that is causing all of my friends and family to change vets. With our rural area and low average income, pets are getting euthanized instead of having testing and treatment. Staff should have more discounts for employee pets.

4.0
Jun 12, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

This company offers many opportunities for doctors and techs to grow in their careers. They provide tons of support and they've been making HUGE changes to veterinary medicine on a whole. I have never known another company to offer so many benefits and perks for staff (especially techs), and they're even making lots of effort to invest in the veterinary receptionists-the front line associates of the hospital. They're also making great strides to acknowledge some of the feedback we've had for many years. They're savvy and smart, making business decisions that build on a company that will be around a long time (and has.)

Cons

There have been times where transparency and communication are lacking, and sometimes to the point where hospital-level employees feel left out or unheard. Some bigger topics like onboarding and navigating what support comes from where could be more clear. It feels like they've been fusing on new concepts/policies/features to the company, making it feel like a clunky machine rather than building something new and streamlined. Maybe it's in the works, but how do we know down here?

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