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Board discusses veterinarian vacancy and recruitment strategies; county HR conducting salary study
Summary
Board members, volunteers and county staff discussed the county's vacant part-time veterinarian position, advertising strategies, and whether to request a higher salary or a full‑time position to attract candidates.
The St. Mary's County Animal Control Advisory Board discussed options to fill a vacant part‑time veterinarian position and ways to make the role more attractive to applicants.
Jennifer Ruttz, director of emergency services, told the board the prior veterinarian position was filled on Jan. 19 and vacated on or about April 2, 2024, and that the current part‑time position is posted at about $86,000 per year for 20 hours a week. "The current salary is, approximately $86,000 a year for 20 hours a week," Ruttz said. She added that county human resources is conducting a comparable salary study to see what neighboring jurisdictions pay shelter veterinarians.
Board members raised recruitment tactics and advertising venues. Rebecca Ironmonger, a retired veterinarian on the board, suggested posting the opening to veterinary-specific outlets such as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) job board; other members offered to research additional outreach. Ironmonger also noted national survey medians for shelter veterinarians, saying the median for a full‑time role was about $122,500 and that part‑time rates in some surveys averaged the equivalent of $85 an hour for respondents in that dataset.
Ruttz and Hollis Lampe, animal services division manager, said the shelter has relied on a volunteer veterinarian who provides weekly vaccination clinics and limited medical checks, and that most medical cases requiring treatment are sent to private clinics in Waldorf when necessary. Lampe said spay/neuter surgeries are being performed through a reduced-cost provider (identified in discussion as Paw Prints in northern Waldorf) and that animals are transported to the provider for surgery before adopters finalize adoptions.
Board members urged exploring alternatives to increasing the posted salary alone: advertising on veterinary-specific sites, investigating student‑loan repayment or other benefit sweeteners, and considering whether a full‑time position at a market rate would attract more candidates. Ruttz said only the county commissioners can authorize a salary increase, and that HR must complete the market study before any formal request to the commissioners.
No formal motion to change the salary or position type was adopted at the meeting; members asked staff to compile options for outreach and potential compensation adjustments for presentation to HR and the commissioners.
