Over the past 30 years, corporate ownership has spread among practices across the UK. In some cases, large veterinary groups will purchase previously independent practices and trade on their premises.

Many of these corporate-owned practices do not change their branding, meaning it isn’t always clear who owns the business.

The six large veterinary groups are IVC Evidensia, CVS Group, Linnaeus, VetPartners, MediVet and Pets at Home (Vets4Pets). Some practice websites will publicise this ownership clearly, however others may have this information hidden on the webpage.

The structure of these large veterinary groups means that some decisions are made externally from the practice, often with the group’s shareholders and profits in mind. While animal welfare remains important, veterinary teams will also need to meet the requirements of the corporate group.