Frequently asked questions

Roo is an easy-to-use veterinary locum services platform offering quick access to a premium talent pool of Veterinarians, RVTs, and Veterinary Assistants in your area for all your short and long-term staffing needs. Our goal is to make the process of filling locum shifts as simple and efficient as possible to save you time and take work off your plate.

Roo aims to staff dependable, quality, compassionate veterinary professionals who will provide exceptional service to your clients and contribute to a positive client-hospital bond. We strive to make every shift a success.

We founded Roo in the US and are now extending our locum support services to Canada because we saw a dire need for work-life balance in the veterinary healthcare industry in both countries. We hope that by forging better connections between animal hospitals and veterinary professionals we can empower both and reduce burnout industrywide.

Our platform helps generate additional revenue for the hospitals we serve by keeping doors open while staff take time off and allowing clinics to schedule more appointments during busy periods.

On top of providing a simple matching process, we foster a community of quality professionals with clear communication, integrity, and transparency.

Signing up for Roo is as simple as creating a free profile and telling us a little bit about your hospital. It only takes a few minutes, and you won’t be charged any recurring membership fees. With Roo, you only pay when you confirm a shift, and you won’t be charged until 24 hours after a shift is completed.

Using Roo is easy, quick, and convenient. Simply post the shifts you need filled on our platform, and we'll connect you with Vets, RVTs, and Veterinary Assistants in your area.

We'll ask a few questions about the shift so we can provide full transparency to our locum professionals, and you'll have a chance to review the profiles of any interested Veterinarians or Technicians to decide who you want supporting your hospital. It only becomes official when you confirm the shift.

After the shift's completed, you'll review the veterinary professional's performance to let other hospitals know how it went.

Yes. Roo is the only flexible staffing platform built with multi-practice groups in mind, connecting all your locations with experienced locum Vets, RVTs, and Veterinary Assistants to manage every open shift.

Our platform enables effortless location management, role delegation, and shift scheduling with real-time visibility into locum staff usage and performance scaled to your entire hospital group.

Roo’s dedicated analytics centre helps you understand how locum is impacting your business with full visibility into shift fill rates, cancellations, and locum ROI.

If you need to support locations across both the US and Canada, email [email protected].

In addition to the location management and user permission roles detailed above, our Enterprise users are supported by a dedicated Account Manager who assists in optimizing locum ROI across your full network.

They also enjoy centralized billing, making payments simple to manage across all locations.

Email [email protected] to learn more.

Roo is completely free to join, and there are no monthly fees. Post unlimited shifts with zero upfront costs, and only pay when you find coverage.

You can freely remove shifts until they’re confirmed, and you won’t be charged until 24 hours after a shift is completed. Our cancellation policies are flexible, providing up to a full refund when you cancel in advance.

We know your bottom line is important, and we want to make Roo an affordable tool for your practice.

You’ll be prompted to add a payment method when you set up your account in order to post shifts. Roo processes payments through the Stripe portal, offering two payment options: credit card or electronic funds transfer (EFT). You can update your payment method at any time, and you won’t be charged until 24 hours after a shift is completed.

Applicable taxes may be added to your invoice upon shift completion.

You’ll be able to access a PDF copy of each invoice in your hospital account at any time for accurate bookkeeping.

Roo’s shift prices are based on market factors like your hospital’s location, day of the week, type of veterinary work performed, and the length of the shift itself.

Shift prices are flexible, and can be adjusted to fit your budget. You can bring down the cost by adjusting start/end times and other shift details. Applicable taxes will be added to the invoice upon shift completion.

‍Roo Pro Tip: Half-day locum shifts during busy periods are a great way to add appointments and generate additional revenue while keeping costs low.

By us! Roo takes care of payments to locum professionals automatically. That’s work off your plate and time saved. You’ll never have to worry about whether a Roo locum professional will be paid on time, and you won’t have to deal with any contracts or start paperwork.

With Roo, posting a shift is fast and easy. Simply log in, and you'll see options to add a new Vet or RVT shift. Then, fill out a short form with details about your shift, click "Post Shift," and you're all set.

For RVT shifts, you'll select a Tech Tier based on what skills you need for the shift. Note that Tier 1 Techs are Veterinary Assistants who may be unlicensed. If you require a Registered Veterinary Technician, select Tier 2 or higher.

The shift will then be posted publicly, visible to Vets, RVTs, or VAs who will have the option to "Request" your shift. You'll be notified whenever anyone requests one of your posted shifts, giving you the opportunity to review the professionals' profiles to decide who you want supporting your hospital.

If it feels like a good match for you, "Confirm" the Vet, RVT, or VA you want to work with to make it official.

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To give you the best chances of finding coverage, we've found it's best to post a shift 30 to 60 days in advance.

However, this is not a requirement, and shifts can be filled much faster and with much shorter notice if needed.

Hospitals on Roo have been able to find coverage in just a few days, but this is not always the case. We recommend posting shifts as far in advance as possible.

If you do find yourself in need of urgent coverage, our team is here to help. Try increasing your shift price to attract more interest from nearby Vets or Techs or reach out to our support team.

No! You have the flexibility to use Roo as much or as little as you like with zero upfront costs, no membership fees, and no minimum shift posting requirements.

Post unlimited shifts whenever you need coverage, and only pay for shifts you confirm. You won’t be charged until 24 hours after a shift is completed, and our cancellation policies are flexible in case things change.

The best way to ensure your shifts get filled is to provide a great experience to Relief Vets and Techs and your hospital. By treating Vets and Techs like part of your team rather than a temporary professional passing through, you’ll receive stellar reviews that make your shifts more attractive.

Check out this guide for all our tips and tricks on how to provide an amazing relief experience.

If you need to find coverage urgently, you can always increase shift prices, making your shift more attractive to Vets or RVTs and Veterinary Assistants in your area.

Roo is devoted to connecting you with Veterinarians and Registered Veterinary Technicians you can depend on to provide exceptional care. You can view the work history and experience of all our professionals in their profiles and read reviews from any hospitals they’ve worked with in the past.

All our locum professionals (except Tier 1 Techs, who are Veterinary Assistants) are fully licensed in the province(s) in which they fulfill shifts. We confirm their qualifications during our interview process.

You’ll be able to see if they have CSDA licence, Fear Free certification, and for RVTs, what procedures they’re comfortable performing based on their Roo Tech Tier.

You’ll always get to make an informed decision for who supports your hospital.

Your hospital is not responsible for providing liability insurance or other similar coverages for Roo locum professionals. While we’re unable to require Roo locum professionals carry liability insurance as independent contractors, we do highly recommend all our Vets obtain their own professional liability and license defense coverages.

If needed, you can make liability insurance a requirement for requesting shifts at your hospital.

If you’ve found a Vet, RVT, or Veterinary Assistant you love working with, we encourage you to hire them part or full-time. Nothing makes us happier than when a Practice Manager meets someone on our platform they love working with, and a Vet, RVT,or VA finds a hospital that’s a great culture fit.

In fact, working locum shifts together is a great way to see if someone is a good fit for your hospital, and you’ll get to see their skills in action before committing to a new hire.

Please reach out to [email protected] when you’re ready to make a hire so we can help facilitate a smooth transition.

You are under no obligation to confirm a veterinary professionalwho requests a shift at your hospital. If they have never worked with you before, you can view their profile as well as reviews from other hospitals before you confirm them. We recommend trying one shift together to see how it goes before committing to multiple shifts with a new professional.

Additionally, if you have any issues before, during, or after a shift, please bring them to our attention by reaching out to our support team.

To ensure each Roo shift is a success, please try to contact the Locum professional at least 24 hours before their shift using Roo’s messaging feature in our app or online platform. We recommend letting them know a bit about what to expect during their shift and any other relevant hospital information.

Please have a staff member ready to receive the Vet, RVT, or VA and show them around before the day begins as well as provide support throughout the day.

If you have any issues with any Roo Locum Vets, RVTs, or Veterinary Assistants, please bring them to our attention at your earliest convenience. You can reach out to our support team using this link or call 1-833-Roo-Vets if you need immediate help.