Veterinary Ownership Beyond 2025: An opinion piece (#281)

Will 2025 be the start of a new era for independent veterinary practices?

For the past decade, the veterinary profession has witnessed a tidal wave of corporate consolidation. Large veterinary groups, powered by economies of scale and streamlined operations, have steadily acquired small practices, reshaping the professional landscape in the process.

This trend has sparked debates about autonomy, culture, and the soul of veterinary care.

In 2025, the tides are beginning to shift, and not in the way many predicted.

In my opinion, significant changes in the veterinary ownership landscape will occur in 2025. Corporate consolidation isn’t going anywhere. Independent practices will not only hold their ground, but they will gain momentum. With fresh tools, inventive models, and a revitalized sense of purpose, independent practices are proving a crucial point: bigger isn’t always better.

A Renaissance Rooted in Innovation

Independent practice owners are now equipped with access to technology and resources once available only to larger corporations. From cloud-based practice management systems to advanced telemedicine platforms and AI-assisted diagnostics, small practices can now operate with unprecedented efficiency.

Financial models like employee ownership trusts, co-op style practices, and values-aligned private equity are also offering alternatives to the traditional sell-to-corporate path.

Even more important than tools and models, however, is the shift in mindset. Younger veterinarians, many of whom came of age watching the rapid corporatization of the field, are reclaiming the narrative. They’re seeking deeper connections with clients, more flexible work cultures, and business models that reflect the values of wellness, community, and sustainability.

A Wake-Up Call for Corporates

This independent resurgence is more than just a countermovement. It’s a wake-up call. Corporate groups, if they are to remain relevant and respected, will be forced to evolve as well. That means rethinking hierarchical models, fostering genuine cultures of care and support, and reestablishing trust with both their teams and their clients.

Some corporate groups are already adapting, offering local autonomy, creating hybrid ownership models, and investing in the wellbeing of their workforce.

The smartest players will be those who collaborate rather than dominate.

Rick’s Commentary

Far from creating division, this emerging duality, where independent and corporate practices exist side by side, each learning from the other, holds the potential to elevate the profession. It encourages creativity, demands accountability, and ensures that no single model has a monopoly on success.

In my opinion, in 2025 and beyond, we’ll see a profession more diverse in ownership, richer in opportunity, and better aligned with the evolving expectations of both veterinary professionals and the communities they serve.

The age of consolidation may have brought structure,

but this next chapter promises soul.

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