Animal Emergency & Specialty

What Animal Emergency & Specialty does

Animal Emergency & Specialty (AES) is a family-owned, 24-hour veterinary hospital in Kirkland, Washington, founded in 1980 and operating continuously on Seattle's Eastside for 45 years. Acquired in 2006 by Dr. Mark O'Hanlon, who remains the owner and lead critical care veterinarian, AES relocated in November 2013 from a 2,400 SF building to a 6,000+ SF purpose-built facility in Totem Lake designed by BDA Architecture, at which point it transitioned from after-hours-only service to full 24/7/365 operation and broadened its offering beyond emergency care. The company is explicitly positioned as the only remaining family-owned, non-corporate 24-hour specialty hospital on the Eastside.

The clinical offering spans emergency and critical care, soft-tissue and orthopedic surgery (led by a board-certified DACVS-SA surgeon), digital radiology with 24/7 board-certified radiologist review, internal medicine, and a full-service rehabilitation department including hydrotherapy, Class IV laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, and electrical stimulation. Equipment and infrastructure include a Snyder ICU suite with separate cat and dog ICUs, an isolation ward, ventilator services, transfusion services, an in-house laboratory, and advanced multi-parameter patient monitoring (ECG, blood pressure, SpO2, EtCO2, temperature). The company explicitly does not hire new graduates, interns, or residents, and retains board-certified specialists across surgery and critical care.

AES operates a hybrid B2C/B2B referral model: emergency cases arrive as direct walk-ins or call-aheads from pet parents across Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, and the broader Eastside, while specialty and imaging cases flow primarily from a network of more than 80 referring family veterinary hospitals on the Eastside, supported by a dedicated referring-doctor portal and free DVM/LVT continuing-education programming. Pricing is professional-services-based with a 50% deposit of the high-end estimate required at admission or surgery scheduling, balance due at discharge, and CareCredit financing available. The hospital is currently operating on temporarily reduced hours (8am–5pm Mon–Thu; Urgent Care 8am–7pm weekends) due to the nationwide veterinary staffing shortage, and is actively recruiting an internal medicine specialist to extend its specialty service line.

Name

Animal Emergency & Specialty

Legal name

Animal Emergency & Specialty

Website

https://aesvets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Family-owned, 24/7 veterinary hospital in Kirkland, WA providing emergency, critical care, surgery, radiology, rehabilitation, and internal medicine services to pet parents and referring family veterinarians across Seattle's Eastside.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Healthcare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (541940)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Hospitals (HLAMACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Emergency veterinary services
• Veterinary critical care
• Veterinary specialty surgery
• Veterinary rehabilitation
• Veterinary diagnostic imaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Kirkland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Emergency & Critical Care Services: 24/7/365 emergency and critical care veterinary services. Emergency visits are billed at time of service with a 50% deposit required at admission for hospitalized critical care patients.
2. Surgical Services: Soft-tissue, orthopedic, and neurologic surgical procedures performed by board-certified surgeon Dr. Kelci McKeirnan. A 50% deposit of the high-end estimate is collected when surgery is scheduled; balance due at discharge.
3. Radiology Services: Digital radiography and ultrasound services available 24/7 for in-house patients and referring family veterinarians. Board-certified radiologist review available 24/7.
4. Rehabilitation Services: Full-service rehabilitation department offering therapeutic massage, hydrotherapy, therapeutic exercise, electrical stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, and Class IV laser therapy. Discounts are available for rehabilitation packages.
5. Referral Imaging for Veterinarians: Radiology services offered to patients of referring family veterinarians, including ultrasound scheduling and CT referrals at partner facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Animal Emergency & Specialty operates a 24/7/365 emergency and critical care veterinary hospital in Kirkland, WA, supplemented by specialty services including soft-tissue and orthopedic surgery, digital radiology, rehabilitation (hydrotherapy, laser therapy, therapeutic exercise), and internal medicine for dogs and cats. The hospital serves as both a walk-in emergency facility for pet parents and a referral-based specialty provider for over 80 family veterinary hospitals on Seattle's Eastside.

Product overview

Animal Emergency & Specialty is a family-owned, 24-hour animal hospital offering emergency and critical care services as its core offering, supplemented by specialty services including surgery, radiology, rehabilitation, and internal medicine. The hospital operates 24/7/365 with experienced veterinarians and board-certified specialists. Key services include emergency & critical care (with advanced monitoring and support), surgery (soft-tissue and orthopedic), digital radiology with 24/7 radiologist review, rehabilitation (hydrotherapy, laser therapy, therapeutic exercise), and payment financing through CareCredit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency & Critical Care 24-hour emergency and critical care veterinary services including triage, stabilization, ventilator support, transfusion services, Snyder ICU Suite care, and management of complex metabolic disturbances. Staffed with at least one DVM on premises at all times, 24/7/365.
• Surgery Soft-tissue and orthopedic surgical services including TPLO, fracture repair, mass removal, gastrointestinal surgery, and brachycephalic airway procedures, performed by board-certified surgeon Dr. Kelci McKeirnan (DACVS-SA).
• Radiology On-site digital radiography and ultrasound services available around-the-clock with board-certified radiologist review 24/7/365. Also includes CT referral services for stable patients at partner facilities.
• Rehabilitation Full-service veterinary rehabilitation offering therapeutic massage, hydrotherapy with heated underwater treadmill, therapeutic exercise, electrical stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, and Class IV laser therapy. Staffed by a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner.
• Internal Medicine Internal medicine consultations and services for cats and dogs. The service was actively recruiting a specialist to join the team as of the source data.

Quantifiable outcome

• Collaborates with over 80 family veterinary hospitals for continuity of care
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pacific Northwest Bulldog Rescue (PNBR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004AES has partnered with PNBR since 2004. Dr. O'Hanlon and his wife Kathie volunteer with PNBR. All three of their personal bulldogs are PNBR rescues. AES provides veterinary medical care for rescued bulldogs in PNBR's program, helping them get necessary medical treatment before finding forever homes.
• Julie Austin PhotographyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning local pet photographer Julie Austin provided the artwork (oversized canvases of rescue and shelter pets) throughout the AES hospital lobby and examination rooms. Her work is featured on the website and throughout the facility.
• Carolina Pet PantryminorOthersOwner Courtney of Carolina Pet Pantry (who also runs Bullies 2 the Rescue) is knowledgeable about pet nutrition and behavioral issues. Many of Carolina Pet Pantry's high-quality products are Wilson-tested and approved. Featured on the 'Wilson Recommends' page.
• K9 AquaticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerK9 Aquatics in Sammamish is a warm-water spa for dogs. Wilson, AES's beloved mascot, loved his weekly swim sessions there. Sandy, the owner, is described as one of the most caring and well-informed pet parents the AES team knows.
• MEOW Cat RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAES is honored to work with MEOW Cat Rescue's dedicated volunteers. The rescue promotes lifelong relationships between people and companion animals, providing shelter and care for cats and dogs until adopted into forever homes. AES provides medical support for animals in the rescue's care.
• M AgencyminorOthersM Agency is AES's full-service marketing partner, a locally owned agency comprised of talented, pet-loving individuals. M Agency designed and developed the AES website, launched in 2016, creating a modern, mobile-optimized site with fresh content and improved navigation.
• BDA ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAES partnered with BDA Architecture to design the new 6000+ SF facility opened in 2013. BDA Architecture is a firm that designs animal-care facilities worldwide, creating a hospital that is visually appealing, highly functional, efficient, comforting, and safe.
• Over 80 Family Veterinary HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAES collaborates with over eighty family veterinary hospitals on Seattle's Eastside, ensuring continuity of care for mutual patients after hours, in case of emergency, and when specialized services are necessary. Most referring veterinarians are known on a first-name basis.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Seattle Veterinary Specialists: Specialty and emergency veterinary hospital serving the greater Seattle area. Directly comparable in service mix (ECC, surgery, internal medicine, radiology) and overlapping geography with AES — a head-to-head competitor for Seattle-area referrals and emergency cases.
• DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital: Nonprofit 24/7 emergency and specialty veterinary hospital in Portland, OR. Comparable model as a community-rooted emergency and specialty hospital — analogous to AES's positioning on the Eastside but in a different metro.
• Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital: Long-established veterinary hospital in Snohomish, WA, offering emergency and specialty services. Comparable as a Pacific Northwest regional emergency/specialty provider competing for referrals in the broader Seattle-adjacent market.
• Animal Medical Center of Seattle: Specialty and emergency veterinary hospital in the Seattle metro. Comparable as a regional competitor offering similar multi-specialty services to AES within overlapping primary catchment.

Broad incumbents

• BluePearl Pet Hospital: National chain of emergency and specialty veterinary hospitals owned by Mars Veterinary Health. Directly comparable to AES as a multi-specialty 24/7 veterinary hospital model, but at vastly greater scale and with corporate backing that AES explicitly contrasts itself against.
• VCA Animal Hospitals: Largest U.S. veterinary hospital network, owned by Mars. Operates general practice and specialty/emergency hospitals nationwide, directly competing for specialty referral volume and emergency caseload on the Eastside and surrounding Seattle metro.

Emerging players

• Sound Veterinary Imaging: Specialty veterinary radiology/imaging provider. Comparable to AES's radiology service line (digital radiography, ultrasound, radiologist review) as a partial-overlap niche player in the same diagnostic segment.
• Pet Emergency Trauma Services: Independent emergency veterinary clinics operating in regional U.S. markets. Comparable as smaller independent emergency-focused veterinary hospitals competing for after-hours and urgent care caseload similar to AES.

Direct peers

• Ethos Veterinary Health: Network of specialty, emergency, and referral veterinary hospitals. Closely comparable operating model (ECC + surgery + internal medicine + rehab with board-certified specialists) and is the type of corporate consolidator that has absorbed independent specialty practices like AES in other markets.
• MedVet: Veterinary specialty and emergency hospital chain with locations across the U.S. Operates a near-identical model to AES (24/7 emergency + board-certified specialties + referral-based GTM), making it the most direct model-comparable peer even if not physically on the Eastside.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AESVets

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 Animal Emergency & Specialty