VCA Animal Specialty & Emergency Center

What VCA Animal Specialty & Emergency Center does

VCA Animal Specialty & Emergency Center is an individual specialty and emergency veterinary hospital located in Los Angeles, California, operating as part of VCA Animal Hospitals — a national network of hometown animal hospitals founded in 1986 and acquired by Mars, Incorporated in 2017 as part of Mars Veterinary Health. The hospital provides primary care, specialty care, emergency care, and urgent care services to dog and cat owners, delivering routine wellness, advanced diagnostics, oncology, surgery, and critical care through board-certified specialists. The broader VCA network supports 30,000+ associates across North America and operates sub-brands including VCA Pet CancerCare (29 centers, 60+ boarded oncologists, 11 radiation oncologists), VCA Urgent Care, and CareClub. Digital infrastructure includes the myVCA patient portal and mobile app (health records, prescription refills, appointment booking, 24/7 live chat) and the Shop myVCA e-commerce storefront for prescription diets, medications, and supplements, with fulfillment handled by Vetsource pharmacy services. The revenue model blends professional services fees (exams averaging ~$100), recurring CareClub subscriptions (Access Plan at $19.99/month offering unlimited exams and up to 25% member savings), and e-commerce transactions for therapeutic products; go-to-market is direct-to-consumer with no third-party reseller channels.

Name

VCA Animal Specialty & Emergency Center

Legal name

VCA Inc.

Website

https://vcahospitals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

VCA Animal Specialty & Emergency Center is a Los Angeles veterinary hospital providing primary, specialty, emergency, and urgent care for dogs and cats, operating within the 30,000+ associate VCA Animal Hospitals network owned by Mars, Incorporated.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Healthcare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Hospitals (HLAMACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Internal Medicine & Oncology Centers (HLAMACAD), Veterinary Surgery Centers (Soft Tissue/Orthopedic/Neuro) (HLAMACAC), Urgent Care Veterinary Clinics (Non-ER) (HLAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Veterinary medical services
• Animal hospital network
• Emergency pet care
• Veterinary specialty care
• Pet preventive healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Veterinary Healthcare Services: Revenue from primary care, specialty care, emergency care, and urgent care veterinary services including exams, diagnostics, surgeries, and treatments.
2. CareClub Membership Subscriptions: Monthly subscription plans (Access Plan at $19.99/month) providing unlimited exams, preventive care, and member discounts on services.
3. Pet Food and Supplies E-commerce: Online sales of prescription diets, therapeutic foods, medications, supplements, and pet supplies through Shop myVCA platform powered by Vetsource.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VCA Animal Specialty & Emergency Center delivers veterinary medical care to companion animals through a network of primary, specialty, emergency, and urgent care hospitals, supported by the myVCA digital patient portal, the CareClub subscription wellness program, and the Shop myVCA e-commerce platform for prescription diets, medications, and supplements fulfilled via Vetsource. The specialty and emergency offering includes a dedicated VCA Pet CancerCare network of 29 centers with 60+ boarded oncologists providing advanced oncology, surgery, and critical care services.

Product overview

VCA Animal Hospitals operates as a national network of veterinary hospitals offering a comprehensive suite of pet healthcare services organized into five hospital types: Primary Care for routine wellness and sick visits, Specialty Care for advanced cases including oncology and surgery, Emergency Care for critical situations, Urgent Care for same-day non-life-threatening needs, and Boarding Care. The company provides digital patient engagement through myVCA (a 24/7 patient portal with mobile apps), CareClub subscription plans offering unlimited exams and preventive services, and Shop myVCA for therapeutic products including Royal Canin Veterinary Diets, Dasuquin, Cosequin, and Denamarin supplements. VCA Pet CancerCare operates 29 cancer centers with 60+ boarded oncologists. Content is delivered through VCA Voice storytelling and podcasting. Orders are fulfilled through Vetsource pharmacy services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CareClub: Personalized pet health care plans offering unlimited exams, specialty care consultations, 24/7 live chat, and discounts on services.
• VCA Pet CancerCare
• VCA Urgent Care
• VCA Voice

Products and services

• Primary Care
• Specialty Care Advanced veterinary services including oncology, surgery, and specialized care delivered by board-certified specialists for complex cases in dogs and cats.
• Emergency Care 24/7 critical and emergency veterinary services trained to handle traumatic injuries, respiratory emergencies, shock, poisoning, and serious illnesses using advanced techniques drawn from veterinary and human medicine.
• Urgent Care Same-day or next-day appointments at designated VCA Urgent Care locations for non-life-threatening immediate care needs, available 365 days a year for dogs and cats.
• VCA Pet CancerCare A network of 29 Pet CancerCare Centers with 60+ boarded oncologists, including 11 radiation oncologists, providing comprehensive oncology consultations, radiation therapy, and cancer treatment plans for companion animals across North America.
• CareClub Subscription-based preventive healthcare plans for dogs and cats offering unlimited exams, specialty care consultations, 24/7 live chat with veterinary professionals, diagnostic testing, and up to 25% savings on additional services, billed monthly.
• myVCA Patient Portal and Mobile App Digital patient portal and mobile app providing pet owners 24/7 access to pet health records, prescription refills, appointment booking, and live chat with veterinary professionals, available on iOS and Android.
• Shop myVCA Online store for pet health products including prescription medications, therapeutic diets, supplements, parasite prevention, and medical supplies, with orders reviewed by the pet's veterinarian and a Vetsource pharmacist and shipped directly to customers' homes.
• Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Prescription therapeutic diets for dogs and cats, including hydrolyzed protein, urinary SO, selected protein, and skin support formulas, sold through Shop myVCA and dispensed via Vetsource.
• Dasuquin Supplements Joint health supplements available in soft chews for dogs and sprinkle capsules for cats, designed to support bone and joint function, sold through Shop myVCA.
• Cosequin DS Chewable tablets for dogs designed to support joint health and cartilage maintenance, sold through Shop myVCA.
• Denamarin Chewable tablets for dogs providing liver support through a combination of silybin and other ingredients, sold through Shop myVCA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members save up to 25% on veterinary services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VetsourcecoreTechnology or IntegrationVetsource serves as the pharmacy services provider for Shop myVCA, filling prescriptions and delivering pet products to customers' homes. Every order is reviewed by the pet's veterinarian and a Vetsource pharmacist to ensure accuracy and appropriateness. The partnership handles prescription approvals, shipping logistics, and customer support for online orders.
• Lyra HealthcoreOthersVCA partners with Lyra Health to provide company-paid mental health support to all U.S. Associates, supporting employee wellness and mental health as part of VCA's commitment to caring for their workforce.
• 150+ Animal ShelterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCA has established partnerships with over 150 animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country as part of their commitment to reducing return-to-shelter rates, ending pet homelessness, and encouraging adoption nationwide. This includes the VCA Shelter Program supporting animal welfare organizations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PetVet Care Centers: PetVet Care Centers is a network of veterinary hospitals spanning general practice, specialty, and emergency services. It is a direct peer to VCA's hospital network in clinical scope, referral patterns, and competitive positioning for owner visits and specialist recruitment.
• National Veterinary Associates (NVA): NVA is a large, PE-backed network of general practice, specialty, and emergency veterinary hospitals across North America. It is a direct peer because it competes head-to-head for hospital acquisitions, veterinarian talent, and pet owner share-of-wallet in the same metro markets VCA serves.
• Thrive Pet Healthcare: Thrive Pet Healthcare operates a multi-specialty network of general practice, emergency, and specialty hospitals in the US. It is a direct peer because it targets the same hospital acquisitions, primary-to-specialty referral economics, and consumer-facing preventive care memberships as VCA.
• Banfield Pet Hospitals: Banfield operates the largest network of general practice veterinary hospitals in the US, also owned by Mars, Incorporated. It is a direct peer because it sits inside Mars Veterinary Health alongside VCA and competes for primary care pet owner visits that feed specialty and emergency referrals.
• Compassion-First Pet Hospitals: Compassion-First is a network of specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals. It is a direct peer to VCA's specialty/emergency tier, competing for board-certified specialists, complex oncology and surgical cases, and referral relationships with primary care practices.
• AmeriVet Veterinary Partners: AmeriVet is a partnership-model veterinary hospital network across the US, providing management services and capital to practice owners. It is a direct peer in hospital-level operations, M&A activity in vet practice consolidation, and competition for DVM talent.
• SAGE Veterinary Centers: SAGE operates specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals on the US West Coast with a strong focus in oncology, surgery, and internal medicine. It is a direct peer to VCA's specialty and emergency portfolio in clinical services, specialist staffing, and referral competition.
• BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospitals: BluePearl is a network of specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals also owned by Mars. It is a direct peer to VCA's specialty and emergency footprint, competing for board-certified specialists, complex case referrals, and emergency caseload in overlapping US metros.

Emerging players

• Modern Animal: Modern Animal is a membership-based veterinary clinic chain with a modern digital experience and unlimited-exam subscription. It is an emerging competitor to VCA's primary care and CareClub membership model, primarily in higher-income US urban markets.
• Small Door Veterinary: Small Door is a subscription-based veterinary clinic operator with a tech-forward member experience in select US cities. It is an emerging player targeting the same primary care pet owner and unlimited-visit membership proposition that CareClub competes against.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/askVCA
• Facebookfacebook.com/VCAAnimalHospitals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vcaanimalhospitals
• Instagraminstagram.com/vca
• Xx.com/VCAPetHealth

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VCA Animal Specialty & Emergency Center