VCA
VCA Animal Hospitals operates over 1,000 veterinary hospitals across the U.S. and Canada with 35,000+ associates, delivering Primary, Specialty, Emergency, and Urgent Care services to companion animal owners. The network is an affiliate of Mars, Incorporated.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
VCA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VCA
- Legal name
- VCA Animal Hospitals
- Website
- https://vcacareers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- VCA Animal Hospitals operates over 1,000 veterinary hospitals across the U.S. and Canada with 35,000+ associates, delivering Primary, Specialty, Emergency, and Urgent Care services to companion animal owners. The network is an affiliate of Mars, Incorporated.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VCA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Veterinary Healthcare Services
- NAICS
- Veterinary Services (54194), Veterinary Services (541940)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Practice Veterinary Clinics (Wellness & Primary Care) (HLAMAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Hospitals (HLAMACAA), Urgent Care Veterinary Clinics (Non-ER) (HLAMAAAD), Veterinary Internal Medicine & Oncology Centers (HLAMACAD), Veterinary Telemedicine & Virtual Care Platforms (HLAMAMAC)
Keywords
Where VCA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
VCA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Veterinary Services: VCA generates revenue through providing veterinary care services including Primary Care, Specialty Care, Emergency Care, and Urgent Care at its network of over 1,000 hospitals across the U.S. and Canada. Services include routine check-ups, advanced medical procedures, emergency treatments, and specialty services such as oncology and surgery.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
VCA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VCA operates a network of over 1,000 veterinary hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, delivering comprehensive veterinary care through Primary Care, Specialty Care, Emergency Care, and Urgent Care service lines. The hospitals, most of which were once independent hometown practices, provide routine check-ups, preventive care, advanced medical procedures, oncology, surgery, diagnostic imaging, and emergency treatments for companion animals. Services are supported by proprietary technology including the WOOFware medical record system, WOOF University e-learning platform, and the myVCA mobile app.
Product overview
VCA operates as a network of over 1,000 hometown animal hospitals offering comprehensive veterinary care services across Primary Care, Specialty Care, Emergency Care, and Urgent Care. The company provides an end-to-end pet care ecosystem including the WOOF University e-learning platform, WOOFware medical record management system, and myVCA mobile app for 24/7 pet health access. VCA supports veterinary professionals through mentorship programs (VCA Academy), rotating internships, and leadership development programs, while also offering student loan repayment assistance through VCA Bright Futures. The network is supported by a Learning & Development division providing 750+ unique courses and RACE-approved continuing education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Primary Care First-point-of-contact routine veterinary care including check-ups, vaccinations, preventive care, dental care, illness treatment, and minor ailment care, delivered at 1,000+ hometown hospitals across the U.S. and Canada for pet owners seeking accessible day-to-day care for their companion animals.
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Specialty Care Advanced veterinary specialty services including oncology, surgery, and other specialized disciplines delivered by more than 500 board-certified specialists across 85+ specialty hospitals, serving pet owners referred for complex conditions.
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Emergency Care Critical and emergency veterinary care equipped to handle traumatic injuries, respiratory emergencies, shock, poisoning, and serious illnesses, using advanced techniques adapted from veterinary and human medicine for pet owners requiring immediate life-saving intervention.
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Urgent Care Innovative same-day veterinary care model with extended hours and expert teams for immediate non-life-threatening care needs, utilizing digital tools and experienced DVMs for streamlined triage and booking for pet owners needing prompt attention.
- myVCA App Mobile application providing pet owners 24/7 access to medical assistance, with features including live chat with veterinary staff, text-to-pay functionality, and refill reminders to manage their pet's healthcare.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of interns who applied for advanced training in 2021 were accepted to the program of their choice
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use VCA
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
VCA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
VCA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
VCA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mars Petcare: Mars Petcare is VCA's ultimate parent division within Mars, Incorporated, with $18B+ in annual global pet care sales. It is the broader incumbent controlling VCA, Banfield, Royal Canin, and other pet care brands, and shapes VCA's strategic priorities.
Direct peers
- VetCor: VetCor is a large veterinary consolidator operating hundreds of companion animal hospitals across the U.S., with a comparable strategy of acquiring and operating independent hometown practices — similar to VCA's core model.
- Thrive Pet Healthcare: Thrive Pet Healthcare operates a multi-specialty network of primary care, urgent care, and emergency veterinary hospitals across the U.S., directly overlapping with VCA's primary, urgent, and emergency care offerings.
- BluePearl Veterinary Partners: BluePearl operates a national network of specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals, directly comparable to VCA's specialty/ER hospital segment. Both compete for board-certified specialist talent and referral cases from primary care veterinarians.
- PetVet Care Centers: PetVet Care Centers is a veterinary consolidator operating general practice, specialty, and emergency hospitals across the U.S. It competes with VCA for both de novo growth and acquisition of independent veterinary practices.
- Banfield Pet Hospital: Banfield is VCA's closest peer — also owned by Mars, Incorporated, and operates over 1,000 U.S. veterinary hospital locations. The two chains are combined under Mars Veterinary Health, sharing strategic direction, talent pipelines, and consumer data.
- Mission Veterinary Partners: Mission Veterinary Partners operates a network of more than 300 veterinary hospitals across the U.S., competing directly with VCA in the general practice and specialty veterinary services market.
- National Veterinary Associates (NVA): NVA is one of the largest veterinary practice ownership platforms in the U.S., operating hundreds of general practice, specialty, and emergency hospitals. It competes directly with VCA for clinic acquisitions and corporate veterinary market share.
Others
- Zoetis: Zoetis is the largest global animal health pharmaceutical and diagnostics company, supplying vaccines, parasiticides, and medications to VCA hospitals. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor in clinical service delivery.
- IDEXX Laboratories: IDEXX is the leading provider of veterinary diagnostic equipment, in-clinic lab systems, and reference lab services. It is an ecosystem enabler to VCA's hospital network rather than a competitor, supplying much of the diagnostic infrastructure VCA hospitals rely on.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VCA social profiles
Digital presenceVCA compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
VCA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VCA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
VCA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VCA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VCA
What does VCA do?
VCA operates a network of over 1,000 veterinary hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, delivering comprehensive veterinary care through Primary Care, Specialty Care, Emergency Care, and Urgent Care service lines. The hospitals, most of which were once independent hometown practices, provide routine check-ups, preventive care, advanced medical procedures, oncology, surgery, diagnostic imaging, and emergency treatments for companion animals. Services are supported by proprietary technology including the WOOFware medical record system, WOOF University e-learning platform, and the myVCA mobile app.
Is VCA a public or private company?
VCA is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was VCA founded?
VCA was founded in 1986. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is VCA based?
VCA is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does VCA make money?
One revenue line is on record: veterinary Services.
Who are VCA's main competitors?
Mars Petcare is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are VetCor, Thrive Pet Healthcare, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, PetVet Care Centers, Banfield Pet Hospital, Mission Veterinary Partners and National Veterinary Associates (NVA). Others are Zoetis and IDEXX Laboratories.
Does VCA have an API?
No public API is recorded for VCA.
What industry is VCA in?
VCA's product category is Veterinary Healthcare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAMAAAA, General Practice Veterinary Clinics (Wellness & Primary Care), with a secondary code of HLAMACAA, Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Hospitals. Its NAICS code is 54194 and its SIC code is 8000.