Centre for Animal Referral & Emergency (CARE)

What Centre for Animal Referral & Emergency (CARE) does

CARE (Centre for Animal Referral & Emergency) is a 24/7 emergency and specialist veterinary hospital located in Collingwood, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 2013 and operating as a node within the Animal Referral & Emergency Network (AREN), the facility combines Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Emergency & Critical Care departments in a single site, serving pet owners through direct walk-in emergencies and scheduled specialist appointments, and primary care veterinarians through a referral channel that returns patients to ongoing care after specialist treatment.

The hospital's capability stack is anchored by advanced diagnostic imaging and surgical infrastructure, including a recently upgraded 16-slice Siemens CT scanner, a Philips Affinity 50 ultrasound, digital radiography, fluoroscopy, 3D modelling and printing for customised surgical planning, and access to off-site MRI. A dedicated ICU provides 24-hour veterinary supervision. Surgical scope spans orthopaedic (TPLO, total hip replacement, fracture repair), neurological, respiratory, and soft tissue procedures, while internal medicine covers infectious, endocrine, gastrointestinal, urinary, cardiorespiratory, and oncological cases.

CARE operates a transactional revenue model with payment required at time of emergency service and deposits required upon admission. Pricing is per-visit and procedure-based, with personalised treatment plans quoted prior to surgery. Flexible payment infrastructure — GapOnly insurance gap-claiming, ZipPay interest-free finance, and VetPay tailored plans — reduces affordability friction. The facility employs approximately 35 staff and holds a 4.5-star Google rating across 1,124 reviews.

Name

Centre for Animal Referral & Emergency (CARE)

Legal name

Centre for Animal Referral & Emergency

Website

https://carevet.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CARE is a 24/7 emergency and specialist veterinary hospital in Collingwood, Victoria, Australia, delivering emergency care, specialist surgery, internal medicine, diagnostic imaging, and ICU services to pet owners and via referrals from primary care veterinarians across metropolitan Melbourne.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Emergency and Specialist Healthcare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Specialty Referral Hospitals (Multi-specialty) (HLAMACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Hospitals (HLAMACAA), Veterinary Specialty Imaging Centers (CT/MRI/Advanced Imaging) (HLAMACAL), Veterinary Surgery Centers (Soft Tissue/Orthopedic/Neuro) (HLAMACAC)

Keywords

• Veterinary emergency services
• Specialist veterinary surgery
• Veterinary diagnostic imaging
• Emergency animal hospital
• Veterinary intensive care

Headquarters

HQ city

Collingwood

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Emergency Veterinary Services: Emergency consultations and treatments provided on a per-visit basis. No appointment required for emergencies, but payment is required at time of service. Deposit required upon hospital admission.
2. Specialist Consultation Services: Referral-based specialist appointments in Surgery, Internal Medicine, and other specialties. Appointments scheduled via phone. Free initial surgical consultations offered as promotional incentive.
3. Diagnostic Imaging Services: Advanced imaging including CT scans, ultrasound, radiography, and MRI access, charged as part of diagnostic workups.
4. Surgical Procedures: Specialist surgical procedures including orthopaedic (TPLO, hip replacement, fracture repair) and soft tissue surgeries, with personalised treatment plans and cost estimates provided.
5. Hospitalisation and ICU Care: Inpatient care in dedicated ICU facility with 24-hour monitoring and veterinary supervision.
6. Blood Donor Program: Community blood donation program where pet owners volunteer their pets as donors; donors receive benefits including $100 Petbarn voucher and free health examinations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CARE is a 24/7 emergency veterinary hospital and specialist referral centre combining Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Emergency & Critical Care in one location. It provides emergency triage and treatment, specialist surgical procedures (orthopaedic, soft tissue, neurological), advanced diagnostic imaging (CT, ultrasound, radiography, fluoroscopy, MRI access), and dedicated ICU hospitalisation with 24-hour monitoring for pet owners across Melbourne and Victoria.

Product overview

CARE is a multi-specialist veterinary hospital offering a unified 24/7 emergency and specialist referral centre combining Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Emergency & Critical Care in one location. The core offerings include Specialty Surgery Services (orthopaedic and soft tissue procedures, TPLO, hip replacement, neurological and respiratory surgery), Internal Medicine Services (diagnostic and treatment for complex conditions), Emergency & Critical Care (24/7 emergency service with triage), Diagnostic Imaging (digital radiography, ultrasound, CT, MRI), and an Intensive Care Unit for 24-hour monitoring. Supporting services include a Blood Donor Program. All services are delivered through collaborative, coordinated care working with referring veterinarians and pet owners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency & Critical Care Service 24-hour emergency and critical care service operating 365 days a year including all public holidays, providing immediate examination, assessment, and treatment for pets with urgent or life-threatening conditions such as trauma, poisoning, snake bites, tick paralysis, and collapse. Targeted at pet owners needing immediate walk-in emergency care without prior appointment.
• Specialty Surgery Services Comprehensive specialist surgical procedures for pets, including orthopaedic surgery (TPLO for cruciate ligament disease, total hip replacement for hip dysplasia, fracture repair), neurological surgery for spinal and brain conditions, respiratory surgery (BOAS), and soft tissue surgery for oncological, urinary, and gastrointestinal conditions. Delivered by specialist veterinary surgeons with personalised diagnostic and treatment plans; for pets referred by primary veterinarians or self-referred pet owners.
• Internal Medicine Services Advanced diagnostic and treatment services for complex medical conditions in pets, including infectious diseases, endocrine disorders, gastrointestinal issues, kidney and urinary tract conditions, cardiorespiratory diseases, and oncology. Delivered by specialist internal medicine veterinarians; for pets referred by primary care veterinarians.
• Diagnostic Imaging Services Advanced imaging technology including digital radiography, Philips Affinity 50 ultrasound, 16-slice Siemens CT scanner, fluoroscopy, and access to high-resolution MRI (performed off-site) for accurate diagnosis of musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, nasal, abdominal, and neurological conditions in pets. Charged as part of diagnostic workups for referred or emergency cases.
• Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Dedicated intensive care facility providing 24-hour veterinary supervision and support for hospitalised pets, equipped with advanced monitoring equipment and staffed by experienced emergency veterinarians and dedicated nurses in close coordination with in-house specialists.
• Blood Donor Program Community-based blood donation program enabling CARE's veterinary teams to provide critical care transfusions. Pet owners volunteer their pets as donors and receive benefits including free health examinations and a $100 Petbarn voucher per donation.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Primary Care VeterinarianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCARE maintains strong partnerships with primary care veterinarians who refer patients requiring specialist expertise, advanced diagnostics, or complex surgical procedures. The relationship involves bidirectional patient flow: veterinarians refer complex cases to CARE, and CARE returns patients to the referring vet's ongoing care after treatment. CARE values open, timely, and respectful communication throughout the referral process.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Greencross Vets: Largest Australian veterinary group operating general practice clinics, specialty hospitals, and emergency centres nationwide. Comparable as a broad incumbent that includes specialty and emergency referral capability within a much larger primary care footprint, and a major source of GP referrals.
• VCA Animal Hospitals: Major North American veterinary chain with broad specialty, emergency, and primary care offerings. Comparable as a large incumbent with embedded specialty referral capability and established referral network infrastructure.
• BluePearl Veterinary Partners: Large US-based network of specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals offering surgery, internal medicine, oncology, and critical care. Comparable as a scaled specialty+emergency operator whose playbook and benchmarks inform CARE's expansion trajectory.

Direct peers

• Animal Referral Hospital (ARH): Australia-wide network of veterinary specialist and emergency hospitals offering surgery, internal medicine, oncology, and critical care. Directly comparable as a multi-specialty referral + 24/7 emergency model competing for the same GP referral base and pet-owner emergency demand.
• Veterinary Specialist Services (VSS): Australian specialist veterinary hospital group with multiple sites offering surgery, internal medicine, oncology, and emergency services. Directly comparable in service mix, referral model, and target customer (referred complex cases and emergency presentations).
• Advanced VetCare: Melbourne-based veterinary specialist hospital offering surgery, internal medicine, oncology, and emergency services. Comparable as a directly competing Melbourne specialty referral centre with overlapping disciplines and referral-driven demand.
• Melbourne Veterinary Specialist Centre: Independent Melbourne-based specialist veterinary centre providing surgery, internal medicine, and other specialty services on a referral basis. Comparable as a same-geography, same-specialty referral competitor targeting primary care vet referrals.
• Pet Emergency & Specialist Centre: Australian after-hours emergency and specialist centre combining emergency coverage with specialist referral services. Comparable as a hybrid emergency + specialty model competing for the same out-of-hours and referred case pool.
• U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital: University of Melbourne-affiliated veterinary teaching hospital in Melbourne offering specialist referral services and 24/7 emergency care. Directly comparable as a Melbourne specialty + emergency referral competitor with similar advanced diagnostic capabilities.

Regional players

• North Shore Veterinary Specialist Hospital: Sydney-based veterinary specialist hospital offering surgery, internal medicine, oncology, and critical care. Comparable in specialty service mix and referral model but operates in a different Australian metropolitan geography.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carevetspecialists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Centre for Animal Referral & Emergency (CARE)