Veterinary Staffing Agencies for Independent Clinics, Compared (2026)

The short answer

The right veterinary staffing agency depends on whether you need a shift covered or a seat filled. For coverage, relief marketplaces such as Roo and employed-relief providers such as IndeVets put a doctor in the building, shift by shift or for a set term. For a permanent associate, contingency recruiters and job boards such as the AVMA Career Center search the domestic pool.

That pool is almost fully employed: veterinarian unemployment was 0.7 percent in the AVMA's 2024 Census of Veterinarians. International placement agencies such as VetBridge USA add licensed veterinarians from Mexico and Canada to it, so they are the one permanent option that does not compete for the same doctors.

Side by side

Option	Example	What you get	Fills a permanent seat	Typical speed
Relief marketplace	Roo	Relief shifts, plus a full-time hiring option	Mainly relief	Shift by shift
Employed relief	IndeVets	Shift or term coverage from relief veterinarians on W-2	No	48-72 hours in some markets (company figure)
Contingency recruiter	Tempus Veterinary Recruitment	A search for a permanent associate, paid when you hire	Yes	Depends on who is available locally
Job board	AVMA Career Center, iHireVeterinary	Applicants to a posting you write and screen	Yes	Depends on who is available locally
International placement	VetBridge USA	A full-time veterinarian from Mexico or Canada, hired by your clinic	Yes	Typically 2-3 months from a signed offer

Relief marketplace

Roo

Roo connects veterinarians, technicians and assistants with animal hospitals for relief work and full-time hiring. Hospitals post shifts, and relief veterinarians browse and book them by pay, distance and shift type. Roo is free for veterinarians to join, which keeps a large pool of relief doctors on the platform.

Good for: Covering specific days next week or next month.
Watch for: You are renting coverage. The seat stays open, and each relief doctor leaves with the client relationships they built.

Employed relief

IndeVets

IndeVets employs its relief veterinarians as W-2 employees with benefits and places them in partner hospitals. Hospitals choose single-shift relief with no minimum commitment, long-term relief with a 13-week minimum and a consistent doctor, or a residency of six months or more with a dedicated doctor. The company says it builds doctors' schedules months in advance and fills shifts in its Speed Markets within 48 to 72 hours. Pricing is quoted by doctor and location.

Good for: Consistent coverage for a defined stretch, such as a leave or a long search.
Watch for: Even a long engagement is coverage, not a hire. The doctor is the provider's employee, not yours.

Contingency recruiter

Tempus Veterinary Recruitment

Veterinary recruiters search for a permanent associate on your behalf and are paid when the hire happens. Tempus Veterinary Recruitment, for example, advertises associate veterinarian roles for US hospitals on iHireVeterinary, free to candidates.

Most US veterinary recruiters work on contingency and charge around 20 percent of the new hire's first-year compensation, within a reported range of 20 to 30 percent. The guarantee behind the fee matters as much as the percentage.

Good for: A permanent hire in a market where doctors are open to moving.
Watch for: Recruiters move doctors between practices. With veterinarian unemployment at 0.7 percent in the AVMA's 2024 census, a search can run for months.

What recruiters cost and the questions to ask before signing

Job board

AVMA Career Center, iHireVeterinary

Veterinary job boards such as the AVMA Career Center and iHireVeterinary let you post the role yourself. You pay to post and do the screening, interviewing and closing yourself.

Good for: The lowest cost per hire when qualified applicants exist near you.
Watch for: A posting reaches the same employed pool a recruiter works. If no one applies after a few weeks, more posting rarely changes that.

International placement

VetBridge USA

VetBridge USA is a veterinary staffing company that places full-time veterinarians from Mexico and Canada into independent, owner-operated US clinics. Veterinarian is a listed profession under the USMCA, so these doctors work in the United States on a TN visa, which has no lottery and no annual cap. Graduates of AVMA-accredited programs sit the same NAVLE exam US graduates take.

VetBridge handles credential verification, state licensing coordination, the TN process and relocation. The clinic interviews the candidates and chooses. A typical timeline is two to three months from a signed offer to the doctor's first day, depending on the state and where the doctor is in licensing.

Good for: A permanent seat the domestic pool has not filled.
Watch for: It is not next-week coverage. If the seat is hurting you now, pair it with relief while the doctor is on the way.

How VetBridge placement works

How to choose

You need a doctor in the building next week. Start with relief: a marketplace for scattered shifts, employed relief for a consistent doctor over weeks or months.

The seat just opened and doctors in your area are moving. Post it on a job board first, then bring in a recruiter if the applicants are thin.

The seat has been open for months, or recruiters came back empty. The local pool is the problem. International placement adds a doctor to it; keep relief as the bridge.

Still deciding? Our guide to hiring a veterinarian in 2026 walks through every option with sourced costs and timelines.

Questions owners ask

What is the best veterinary staffing agency for an independent clinic?

It depends on whether you need a shift covered or a seat filled. For coverage, relief marketplaces such as Roo and employed-relief providers such as IndeVets put a doctor in the building shift by shift or for a set term. For a permanent associate, recruiters and job boards search the domestic pool, and international placement agencies such as VetBridge USA add licensed veterinarians from Mexico and Canada to it.

What is the difference between veterinary relief staffing and permanent placement?

Relief staffing rents you a doctor for shifts or a fixed term; the seat stays open and the relief doctor moves on. Permanent placement ends with a veterinarian on your own payroll. Recruiters, job boards and international placement are permanent options; relief marketplaces and employed-relief providers are coverage options.

Do any veterinary staffing companies place veterinarians from other countries?

Yes. VetBridge USA places full-time veterinarians from Mexico and Canada into independent US clinics, managing licensing coordination and the TN visa. General recruiters occasionally present internationally trained candidates, but most work only the domestic pool.

How much do veterinary staffing companies charge?

Relief providers price by shift or engagement and quote by market. Most veterinary recruiters charge around 20 percent of first-year compensation, within a reported range of 20 to 30 percent. Job boards charge to post. Whatever you choose, get the terms in writing, including what happens if the doctor leaves early.

Is VetBridge USA a recruiter?

No. VetBridge USA is a staffing company. Recruiters move veterinarians who already work in the US between practices; VetBridge adds licensed veterinarians from Mexico and Canada to the US workforce and coordinates licensing, the visa and relocation for the clinic.

Veterinary staffing agencies for independent clinics, compared