OUR MISSION
The mission of CARE for Pets™ (a leading consumer advocate for the PET CARE INDUSTRY) is to advance the health, safety and wellness of all pets by improving transparency and accountability; and seeks to strengthen the human-animal bond to improve the lives of people and their companion animals.
BETTER CARE FOR PETS™
The corporatization of the pet care industry: The growing corporate influence in the pet care industry has accelerated over the last six years —coincided with the rapid rise in vet care prices. The market share of corporate-owned veterinary practices has increased about 300 percent — nearly 1 out of 3 general practices in the u.s. are owned by consolidators and may purposely avoid corporate ownership identification and hide ownership. Common complaints among employees of consolidators say their employer prioritizes profits over patient care. By sharing trusted and unbiased information with consumers, CARE for Pets™ seeks to empower pet owners to effect positive change in the pet care industry in order to provide the best care for all companion animals.
Buying Pet Medications Online
It’s estimated that 71% of pet medication sales for cats and dogs were sold by veterinary hospitals in 2022 according to market research firm Packaged Facts. Increasing number of hospitals “no longer approve requests from outside pharmacies by phone, fax, or email” — average sales at veterinary hospital online stores doubled from 2021 to 2023. Practices typically outsource their online pharmacy to a prescription management service — third-party pharmacy provides individual practice websites with a clinic-branded online store that offers home delivery of pet prescription medications. Prices of the items listed on the clinic’s online store are controlled by the individual practice and costs can vary significantly among the competing pet pharmacies. Pharmacy sales can make up over 25% of a practice’s revenue.
Find The Best Pet Health Insurance
Today, in the pet insurance marketplace, several brands are owned by the same holding company(s). These entities may own and or control other companies in the pet care space (vertically integrated) and have access to large amounts of consumer spending data that may impact the price of insurance premiums. In some cases, insurance companies may cancel your policy by opting not to renew your coverage at the end of the policy term — major insurance provider drops coverage for approximately 100,000 pets across the country. If you need to find new coverage, pet insurance companies typically do not cover costs related to pre-existing conditions. Approximately 4.85 million pets were insured in the u.s. at the end of 2022 according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA). The average accident and illness premium for dogs in 2022 was $640 — 9.6% annual increase and $387 for cats — 12.9% annual increase. In 2023, several pet insurance companies were seeking annual premium rate increases of 30 to 56 percent.
Locate Veterinary Hospital Near You
When choosing a veterinary hospital, location, and the range of medical services provided are all important considerations. However, you should also consider the ownership status of the practice and its potential impact on vet care prices and quality of care — preliminary research found “significant differences in pricing between corporate and privately owned veterinary clinics in the same geographic region.” A recently published study reveals “veterinarians working in corporate practices reported feeling more pressure than those in private practice to generate revenue and see more clients per shift” — doctor at one of the largest corporate consolidators says “vets were feeling pressure from management to make a certain amount of money from every appointment.” Always verify the current ownership status with your veterinarian.
Who Owns Your Practice Matters™
CARE for Pets™ officially launches the Companion Platform™ — the internet’s first and only public-facing practice ownership search engine for veterinary practices. Corporate consolidators typically boast on their individual practice websites that their hospital has been part of the community for decades, without disclosing any recent changes in ownership to pet owners and often retains the local brand name. With new corporate ownership, the hospital’s priorities may significantly change and can negatively impact the quality of veterinary medicine, workplace culture, and the cost of vet care.