COMMON MISLEADING STATEMENTS BY CORPORATE-OWNED VETERINARY PRACTICES

Research conducted by CARE for Pets™ reveals many corporate-owned veterinary practices display misleading statements on their individual practice websites which is most likely to create a FALSE IMPRESSION to pet owners that the practice is independently owned and locally operated. A misleading statement or claim is one which intentionally omits information from a statement and thereby causing a portion of such statement to be misleading, or intentionally concealing a material fact, and thereby creating a false impression by such statement.

THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL WAS PURCHASED BY THE VETERINARIAN:
A common misleading statement displayed on corporate-owned veterinary practice websites communicates that the animal hospital was previously purchased by a veterinarian that is currently working at the practice but failed to disclose (INTENTIONALLY CONCEALING A MATERIAL FACT) that the animal hospital was recently acquired by a corporate entity. These statements are usually displayed on the ‘about us’ pages of the individual practice website.

ACCORDING TO TODD NEMET, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF CARE FOR PETS™

“Misleading statements displayed on corporate-owned veterinary practice websites which intentionally conceal material fact(s) about the true ownership of the individual practice must be enforced by both the Veterinary State Boards and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in order to uphold the dignity of the veterinary profession.”

RELATED

  • Ethics in Veterinary Medicine: Marketing & Advertising
    https://www.pets.care/ethics-in-veterinary-medicine/

    • Advertising by veterinarians is ethical when there are no false, deceptive, or misleading statements or claims. A false, deceptive, or misleading statement or claim is one which communicates false information or is intended, through a material omission, to leave a false impression.