Retail giant opens its first pet center in GeorgiaSeptember 25, 2023The Walmart Pet Services Center opens its pilot branch in Georgia, offering veterinary care and grooming services in a dedicated storefront.
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Urgent care hospitals expand access to veterinary careAugust 26, 2022To help expand access to care, VCA Animal Hospitals has added an urgent care option to its network of clinics..
Free veterinary care program expands to seven statesMay 26, 2022Homeless and street pets in America’s most vulnerable communities will continue to have increased access to care, food, and supplies, thanks to ElleVet Sciences.
Northern Virginia pet hospital joins Compassion-FirstJune 3, 2019Veterinary Referral Center of Northern Virginia (VRC-NOVA) in Manassas has announced it will join the Compassion-First Pet Hospitals family. The hospital employs 77 veterinary professionals and offers surgical services, internal medicine, ophthalmology, and 24/7 emergency care. Just recently, it remodeled and expanded its ophthalmology department and emergency services. "We have entered an age where consumers' demand for medical advancements is growing daily. To meet this demand, we needed a partner like Compassion-First Pet Hospitals to help us take the critical next step forward to advance veterinary care in our community," says Ethan Morris, DVM, medical director and head of VRC-NOVA's surgery department. Dr. Morris will continue to act as medical director of Veterinary Referral Center of Northern Virginia. "Veterinary Referral Center of Northern Virginia brings incredible talent and expertise to our family of hospitals," says Compassion-First chief executive officer, John Payne. "We are absolutely thrilled to have this entire team help us further our vision to deliver the highest quality of veterinary medicine, in the way that honors the best interests of the clients and patients."
Americans spent $18.11 billion on veterinary care in 2018March 22, 2019The American Pet Products Association (APPA) says veterinary care remains the second highest source of spending in the pet care community. According to the association's annual industry-wide spending figures, money spent on veterinary care totaled $18.11 billion, surpassing growth in any other category at a rate of 6.1 percent. Figures in 2019 are expected to reach $18.98 billion, an increase of 4.8 percent over last year's figures. The APPA says the frequency of veterinary visits has likely increased due to lower prices, making pet care more available to a broader customer base. "Millennials continue to be the largest pet-owning demographic and this shows in the data," says APPA president and CEO, Bob Vetere. "We know this generation is willing to pay more for quality services to improve the health and well-being of their pets. Today more than ever, pet owners view their pets as irreplaceable members of their families and lives, and it's thanks to this that we continue to see such incredible growth within the pet care community."
Financial assistance for pet care now available across U.S.January 28, 2019A service focused on helping pet owners receive financial assistance to pay for veterinary care is now available in all 50 states.
Pets in low-income households at risk of not receiving veterinary careDecember 26, 2018Dogs and cats living in low-income households and/or with young pet owners are most at risk for not receiving recommended care, according to a national population survey report.
Initiative aims to help make affordable veterinary care available for allNovember 22, 2018The Initiative for Accessible Veterinary Healthcare (IAVH) is a coalition of veterinary professionals from academia and the private sector whose goal is to contribute information, ideas, and practical tools to promote the expansion of effective and affordable health care for companion animals.
Study tackles nonprofit spay-neuter clinic controversySeptember 18, 2018Most pets seen in nonprofit spay-neuter clinics belong to low-income families and do not receive regular veterinary care, according to a study published Sept. 15 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. In the JAVMA article, "Characteristics of clients and animals served by high-volume, stationary, nonprofit spay-neuter clinics," researchers Sara C. White, DVM, MSc; Julie K. Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DABVP; and Janet M. Scarlett, DVM, MPH, PhD, revealed the results of a nationwide study designed to determine to what extent low-cost spay-neuter clients are diverting clients from private practice veterinarians. The study, which surveyed 3,768 owners of 2,154 dogs and 1,902 cats admitted to 22 nonprofit spay-neuter clinics across the United States in a nine-month period, showed nonprofit spay-neuter clinics predominantly serve low-income clients, animals lacking regular veterinary care, shelter animals, and community cats. "Nonprofit spay-neuter clinics offer their services to pets who would not be sterilized otherwise," said Dr. White, executive director of Spay ASAP Inc. "Without them, a vital component of reducing pet overpopulation, as well as of public health, would be lost." Income challenges, transportation issues, and no local veterinary services all can delay or prevent spaying and neutering pets, usually is combined with …
Nationwide annual 2017 Hambone Award voting underwaySeptember 21, 2017After reviewing nearly 1.5 million pet insurance claims received over the past year, Nationwide has nominated 12 candidates for the 2017 Hambone Award. Each year, the pet health insurer combs its database of more than 600,000 insured pets to honor the most "Unusual Pet Insurance Claim of the Year." The winner will be decided after a public voting period of Sept. 21 – Oct. 4. Originally named after a dog who ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while stuck in a refrigerator, the annual Hambone Award has since been given to the most bizarre medical claim each year since 2009. In addition, the veterinary practice that treated this year's Hambone Award winner will receive a $10,000 Nationwide-funded award through the Veterinary Care Foundation to treat pets whose owners could not otherwise afford treatment. From the dog who was impaled by a tree branch to the cat who fell down an abandoned well, each of the 12 nominees have uniquely harrowing tales. All nominated pets have made full recoveries and received Nationwide insurance reimbursements for eligible veterinary expenses. Below are brief summaries of the 12 unusual claims nominated for the 2017 Hambone Award. For a more detailed account of each story, photos of the …
