Spotlight: Buck Road Animal Hospital

Do you know who owns your veterinary hospital?

There’s a real chance it is owned by a large corporation or private-equity-backed group—and you may not even know it. Many acquired hospitals keep their original names, signs, doctors and staff, making the change in ownership almost invisible to pet owners.

Why does that matter? Ownership can influence pricing, staffing, medical protocols and financial expectations.

Prices are rising throughout veterinary medicine. Increasing costs affect every hospital, while corporate consolidation has reached nearly every aspect of the veterinary industry.

At our independently owned hospital, we routinely see estimates from corporate hospitals that are twice our own—or even higher—for comparable procedures. Many of our newest clients come to us after receiving an estimate that simply doesn’t seem reasonable. A $2,000 estimate for a routine dental cleaning in a healthy young dog, for example, understandably causes some owners to seek another opinion.

Pet owners develop strong relationships with their veterinary hospitals. They know and trust the doctors and staff and understandably don’t want to leave. Large corporate owners understand the value of that loyalty. When prices rise, many owners assume veterinary care must cost about the same everywhere. They may reluctantly pay the higher price—or, even worse, decide they simply cannot afford the procedure.

But veterinary prices can vary dramatically between hospitals. Before declining important care or accepting an estimate that seems extraordinarily high, consider getting another estimate or second opinion—particularly from an independently owned hospital.

At an independent hospital, the people making business decisions are the same people caring for your pets. We answer to our clients, patients, employees and community—not outside investors.

Want to know who owns your veterinary hospital? Use the Corporate Vet Map & List to look it up at privateequityvet.org. 

If you are looking for personalized petcare from a local veterinarian, call Buck Road Animal Hospital today at 215-364-2997. Also, visit www.BuckRoadAnimalHospital.com.