Are you a vet looking for a role where you can bring your clinical skills to help families who've never had a relationship with veterinary care learn to care for their pets?
Are you a believer in delivering good quality, pragmatic medicine that fits with a spectrum of care model?
Are you looking for a place where you'll make tangible community impact and go home knowing you gave families chances they wouldn't have had otherwise?
If so, then Veterinary Urgent Care Houston might be the place you've been hoping to find.
About Us
We exist to make veterinary care understandable, accessible, and welcoming for people who've never had a relationship with it, by delivering the compassionate, team-led, values-driven medicine our community deserves.
For many of the families who walk through our doors, veterinary care has never been part of their reality. Not because they've been excluded, but because they've simply never had access. There's been no relationship, no education, no opportunity to build trust because there's never been a vet here. We're here to change that by offering compassionate, evidence-based urgent care that meets people where they are, without judgment, shame, or overwhelm.
Founded by Dr. Mackenzie Gallegos, a former shelter vet, this practice was built on the understanding that many families in our community have never been taught what veterinary care could be. They do what they can, when they can, and our team meets them exactly where they are. We put community first, deliver care without prejudice, and value shared wisdom over hierarchy.
Our approach centers on doing the right thing, not the easy thing. We offer clients safety, resilience, and educational opportunities to empower them. Many of our clients come to us having never had a veterinary relationship before. Most are doing the best they can with what they have, and our team meets them with options, not blame or shame.
We're a bridge between privilege and access, between clinical medicine and lived reality. This is veterinary care that's honest, pragmatic, and rooted in empathy - proof that urgent care can be both excellent and equitable.
Our team operates from a 1930s art deco building in East End Houston - a space that's raw, real, and full of potential. The building itself tells a story, having once been part of the animal welfare network. We've expanded to a second site in Beaumont, and we're growing a team who share our goal of making sustainable, real-world impact across both locations.
What makes this practice special is the team culture we've built and fought hard to protect. This is where we finish each day laughing together, debrief tough cases with honesty, and step in for each other without being asked. Mistakes are learning opportunities. Boundaries are respected. Everyone - from techs to the practice manager - is trusted to lead.
We're building more than a shift-based clinic. Our vision is a team of veterinarians allied in purpose. Some weeks, we focus on managing the cases that come through our doors. Other weeks, we collaborate on bigger solutions to problems within the community. We create space for thoughtful conversation, shared planning, and problem-solving that goes beyond the day's caseload - whether it's developing outreach initiatives, shaping workflow across both sites, or learning from each other.
If you believe urgent care can be excellent, equitable, and team-led - and you're ready to help shape an essential community service - we'd love to meet you.
About the Role
This is an urgent care role that leans more toward ER than GP - but with a fundamentally different culture. The pace is fast, the cases are diverse, and your techs will be your lifeline.
You'll treat a wide range of conditions, including walk-in emergencies like wounds, parvo, trauma and blocked cats. You'll also see standard cases like skin conditions, ear infections, GI issues, and vaccines - but expect a consistent surgical load and real variety. Every day brings something different.
You'll be expected to:
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Triage effectively and make evidence-led, but pragmatic decisions
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Collaborate with your team to deliver treatment plans that meet clients where they are - medically, emotionally, physically and financially
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Communicate clearly and respectfully with both clients and staff, especially during difficult conversations
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Delegate confidently to your tech team, who are trained, trusted, and ready to help
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Contribute to a learning-focused environment where everyone, including you, is growing
We practice spectrum-of-care medicine informed by current research - not cutting corners. If you're open to evidence-based trade-offs, flexible thinking, and creative problem-solving, you'll thrive here.
Gallery
About You
You're driven by purpose, not just practice. The technical skills can be taught - but your commitment to accessible, dignified veterinary care cannot. You believe that excellent medicine doesn't require gold-standard budgets, and you're energized by the challenge of delivering compassionate care that meets people where they are.
You bring resilience and empathy in equal measure. This work can be emotionally demanding. You'll need the emotional intelligence to navigate difficult conversations with grace, the resilience to handle the weight of serving families who are building their first veterinary relationship, and the detail-focus to maintain clinical excellence even when resources are limited.
You're people-focused first. Your clinical skills are tools for helping people - not an end in themselves. You understand that behind every pet is a family doing their best, and you approach each interaction with curiosity rather than judgment.
You thrive on collaboration. You don't need to have all the answers, but you do need to be willing to problem-solve alongside your team. You see mentorship as a two-way street - ready to learn from others and share what you know.
You might be a former shelter vet looking for deeper community connection, or someone who's felt constrained by corporate protocols that don't serve real families. You might be a new graduate drawn to mission-driven work, or an experienced vet ready to practice medicine that aligns with your values.
What matters most is that you're committed to this type of medicine - the kind that proves care can be accessible without compromising quality, and sustainable without losing sight of why we became veterinarians in the first place.
Who This Job Is (and Isn't) For
This job is for you if you:
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Believe medicine should be accessible and humane - not just gold-standard or bust
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Value teamwork, clear boundaries, and a shared sense of humor
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Want to practice real medicine without the corporate constraints
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Have the humility to learn, and the confidence to speak up
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Are open to mentorship as both giver and receiver
This job isn't for you if you:
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Think "accessible" means "low-quality"
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See protocol deviation as a threat, not a discussion
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Need a pristine, state-of-the-art facility to do your best work
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Want minimal client interaction or emotional investment
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Aren't ready to grow alongside a developing practice
What Makes This Job Awesome
You'll join a close-knit team that genuinely cares - not just about patients, but about each other.
You'll work alongside an owner who remains actively involved in clinical work, still doing surgery, mentoring techs, and working cases at the front lines.
You'll collaborate with highly capable, empowered technicians who work at the top of their skill set. Our tech team is trained to take initiative, manage communications, and handle complex tasks with confidence - so you can focus on diagnosing, leading, and treating.
You'll make tangible impact in a community that deserves better - and you'll do it backed by shared values and genuine support.
You'll work hard, but you'll go home knowing you gave people and pets a chance they might not have had otherwise.
If you've ever felt like you had to choose between meaningful work and sustainable life, know this: we're here to prove you don't.
The Practical Details
Location: Houston, TX (East End location, with a second site in Beaumont)
Salary: Starting at $140,000, with potential up to $180,000 depending on experience
Benefits include:
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Health, dental, and vision insurance
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401(k) with 3% match
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2+ weeks PTO
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CE allowance ($3,000)
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Licensing and professional fees paid
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Profit-sharing potential
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Staff discount (at cost)
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Relocation support available for the right candidate
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Future equity/ownership discussions are on the table
Schedule: Typically 3 x 12-hour shifts/week (flexible, consecutive preferred)
Spanish language skills are a plus, but not essential (our techs have your back)
New grads welcome with tailored mentorship
How to Apply
If you've read this far and feel called to be part of this team of caring individuals, we want to hear from you.
Please send your CV and a cover letter explaining what urgent care means to you to oliver@vetxinternational.com. Your application doesn't need to be polished - it just needs to be honest.
We're not perfect. But we're real. And for the right person, this could be the work of a lifetime.