Lort Smith

Name

Lort Smith

Legal name

Lort Smith

Website

https://lortsmith.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Hospital Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (541940)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

General Practice Veterinary Clinics (Wellness & Primary Care) (HLAMAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

Keywords

• Veterinary hospital services
• Animal adoption services
• Pet therapy programs
• Emergency veterinary care
• Animal welfare charity

Headquarters

HQ city

North Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Veterinary service fees: Fee-for-service revenue from consultations, surgeries, dental care, dermatology, desexing, vaccinations, microchipping, prescriptions, and emergency care. Consultation, examination, treatment and medication fees are payable at time of treatment. Specialised procedures require deposits (100% prepayment for desexing; 50% deposit for other procedures; 50% deposit for emergency admissions).
2. Adoption fees: One-time adoption fees per animal (e.g., Tibbles $50, Bumble $150, Sandra Sully $225, Spice $500, Fella $700) covering desexing, vaccination, microchipping, intestinal worm and flea treatment, FIV testing for cats over six months, 14-day health guarantee and adoption booklet.
3. Donations and philanthropy: Tax-deductible donations of $2 or more; in-memory donations with funeral collection support; in-kind donations (towels, pet toys, blankets, unopened pet food); donor-funded programs (Emergency Welfare Assistance, CDAP).
4. Bequests and gifts in wills: Legacy giving program supported by dedicated phone line (03 9287 6417) and email ([email protected]).
5. Community fundraising: Hosted fundraising events by community members, schools, businesses, and community groups; donor raises funds and donates within 14 days of activity completion.
6. Workplace giving: Regular payroll giving from workplaces to support mission.
7. Regular giving (Pet Protector program): Recurring donor program for ongoing financial support.
8. Dog training services: One-on-one dog training classes and Puppy Preschool programs at Campbellfield.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Lort Smith is a not-for-profit animal welfare organisation that operates an animal hospital and veterinary clinic in North Melbourne, a second veterinary clinic co-located with an adoption centre in Campbellfield, and an adoption service that rehomes surrendered animals. The hospital provides consultations, surgery, desexing, dental, dermatology, CT scanning, emergency care, and specialist surgery via MARS, while the adoption centre, community dog park, dog training, and donor-funded welfare, pet therapy and youth pathways programs extend the social and community impact of the core clinical service.

Product overview

Lort Smith is a not-for-profit veterinary care and animal welfare organization operating a platform-plus-modules architecture across two physical sites in Melbourne — the flagship Lort Smith Animal Hospital in North Melbourne (combining the Emergency Hospital, General Practice, Surgery, Desexing, Dermatology, Senior pet care, Unusual Pets and Wildlife, Dental, Behaviour consults, the Lort Smith CT Scanner Service, and the Lort Smith Vet Referral Service with specialist surgeries via MARS) and the Campbellfield Veterinary Clinic (co-located with the Adoption Centre, Community Dog Park, and Dog Training / Puppy Preschool). On top of these clinical and adoption services, Lort Smith operates a suite of community outreach modules — the Pet Therapy Program (including Pet Therapy for At-Risk Young People and the Animal Care Youth Pathways program), the donor-funded Emergency Welfare Assistance Program (EWA), the Compassionate Diagnostic Assistance Program (CDAP), and the Pet Assistance and Welfare Services (PAWS) joint pilot. Customer-facing digital tools include the Lort Smith Online Booking System and the Lort Smith Information / Resource Library, while cross-cutting seasonal offerings such as Golden Paws Wellness Checks extend the senior pet care module during winter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lort Smith Adoption Centre: Adoption centre located at Campbellfield that rehomes surrendered animals, operating by appointment with a dedicated adoption process.
• Community Dog Park (Lort Smith)
• Lort Smith Pet Therapy

Products and services

• Lort Smith Animal Hospital (North Melbourne) Flagship Emergency Hospital and Clinic at 24 Villiers Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051. Provides emergency veterinary care (8:00am–10:00pm, seven days a week including public holidays), general consultations, surgery, desexing, senior pet care, dermatology, unusual pet and wildlife care, dental, behaviour consults, and on-site CT scanning. Hub for general practice, emergency and specialist surgery services.
• Lort Smith Campbellfield Veterinary Clinic Veterinary clinic co-located with the Adoption Centre and Community Dog Park at 25-35 Berwick Road, Campbellfield VIC 3061. Offers general consultations and pet behaviour consultations, serving as a secondary site for routine veterinary care for Melbourne's north.
• Lort Smith Adoption Centre (Campbellfield) Animal shelter and rehoming centre rehoming over 600 surrendered animals each year. Provides surrender services, expression-of-interest matching, and adoption of desexed, vaccinated, microchipped dogs, cats, and other pets with a 14-day health guarantee. Operates by appointment Monday–Saturday 10:00am–3:30pm.
• Lort Smith Vet Referral Service Referral pathway for external veterinarians to refer patients to Lort Smith for advanced treatment, including specialist surgeries delivered in partnership with Melbourne Animal Referral Services (MARS).
• Lort Smith Dog Training
• Lort Smith Community Dog Park Native-landscaped off-leash community dog park at the Campbellfield site with dedicated small-dog area, sand pit, agility run, and aromatic totem poles. Open Monday–Friday 8:00am–7:00pm; free public access.
• Golden Paws Wellness Checks Seasonal senior pet health-check program run each winter, designed to support proactive wellness care for aging cats and dogs. Booked via the Lort Smith online booking portal.
• Pet Therapy Program Volunteer-and-dog team program delivering animal-assisted therapy to 50+ health, aged care, and community service sites across Melbourne, including the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct. Includes the Pet Therapy for At-Risk Young People and Animal Care Youth Pathways programs.
• Emergency Welfare Assistance Program (EWA)
• Compassionate Diagnostic Assistance Program (CDAP)
• Pet Assistance and Welfare Services (PAWS) Joint pilot program delivered with Pets of the Homeless and Launch Housing that assesses and certifies animals of people in crisis as 'Rental Ready' for shared crisis accommodation, while providing foster care and veterinary treatment.
• Animal Care Youth Pathways Program
• Lort Smith CT Scanner Service Diagnostic CT scanning service available as part of Lort Smith's facilities and equipment at the North Melbourne hospital, used for diagnostic imaging across a broad range of species.
• Lort Smith Information / Resource Library

Quantifiable outcome

• Rehomes over 600 surrendered animals each year via Campbellfield Adoption Centre
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Animal Referral Hospital (ARH): Network of specialist veterinary referral hospitals in Australia offering advanced diagnostics, specialist surgery, and emergency care. Emerging player comparable to Lort Smith's MARS specialist surgical partnership and CT capability, but operates on a commercial specialist model and is a potential referral destination rather than direct competitor.
• PetRescue: Australia's largest online animal adoption platform connecting rescue organisations and adopters. Comparable to Lort Smith's Adoption Centre as a channel for rehoming surrendered animals, but operates as a marketplace/aggregator rather than a direct shelter operator.

Broad incumbents

• VetPartners Australia: Large Australian veterinary group operating numerous GP and specialist clinics nationally, including in Melbourne. Broad incumbent offering overlapping general practice and specialist surgical services, competing for clients and (separately) for veterinary talent with Lort Smith.
• Petstock: Major Australian pet retailer with growing in-store veterinary clinic network. Broad incumbent in adjacent pet-care retail and services, with comparable Melbourne footprint and overlap in puppy/pet owner customer base, though not a direct NFP welfare peer.
• Greencross Vets: Australia's largest operator of veterinary clinics with extensive Melbourne footprint, offering GP consultations, surgery, and specialty services. Broad incumbent that competes with Lort Smith for Melbourne pet owners but operates a for-profit, chain model with transparent online pricing.

Direct peers

• RSPCA Victoria: Victoria's largest animal welfare charity, operating animal shelters, veterinary services, and adoption programs across the state. Direct peer as both organisations deliver veterinary care, animal adoption, and cruelty/investigation services from multiple sites across Melbourne, competing for the same donor pool and adoption market.
• Pets of the Homeless: Australian NFP supporting pets of people experiencing homelessness, partnering with Lort Smith on the PAWS joint pilot. Direct peer in delivering companion-animal welfare services to vulnerable populations, with comparable mission and donor base, though operating as a national coordinator rather than a hospital operator.
• The Lost Dogs' Home: Melbourne-based not-for-profit animal welfare organisation operating shelters, veterinary services, and adoption programs. Direct peer as a fellow NFP delivering high-volume vet consultations, adoptions, and community programs in the same metropolitan market, including a low-cost vet clinic model.

Others

• Melbourne Polytechnic (School of Veterinary Nursing): Vocational education provider delivering veterinary nursing training in Melbourne. Listed as an OTHERS peer because Lort Smith hosts clinical placements and student training with Melbourne Polytechnic, making it a strategic education/ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• Animal Welfare Victoria (DEDJTR): Victorian government regulator and policy body for animal welfare, working alongside NFPs and councils on animal welfare initiatives. Listed as a peer due to its role in shaping the policy and funding environment in which Lort Smith operates, rather than direct service competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lortsmith

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Lort Smith