Christensen Animal Hospital

What Christensen Animal Hospital does

Christensen Animal Hospital is a privately-owned, full-service companion animal hospital founded in 1937 and based in a single location at 730 Hibbard Road in Wilmette, Illinois. The practice serves pet owners across five North Shore Illinois communities — Wilmette, Winnetka, Glenview, Kenilworth, and Northfield — with a current staff of approximately 12, organized around two full-time-equivalent doctors. Service offerings span wellness and preventive care, general medicine, advanced diagnostics (digital radiology, dental radiology, ultrasound, endoscopy, in-house laboratory, bronchoscopy, rhinoscopy), a surgical center (soft tissue, laparoscopic/minimally invasive, and laser surgery), boarding and bathing, dog grooming, and an on-site pharmacy, with additional exotic-pet and avian capabilities. The practice also functions as a referral destination for specialty surgical and diagnostic cases referred by other veterinarians across Illinois.

The hospital's underlying technology is clinical rather than software-native: it invests in advanced diagnostic imaging and surgical hardware, including digital and dental x-ray, ultrasound, flexible endoscopy, in-house lab analyzers, a Companion therapy laser system, and a surgical laser that Dr. Jeffrey Moll has used as a clinical focus for nearly 20 years. Patient-facing technology is limited to a PetMatrix-based online client portal for scheduling and refills, a telehealth/virtual visit product priced at $65 per consultation, and routine phone, text, and online booking channels. There is no proprietary software platform, AI/ML system, or data product referenced in any source.

The business model is straightforward fee-for-service veterinary medicine. Revenue is generated per visit and per procedure across wellness, medical, surgical, boarding, and grooming streams, supplemented by an in-house pharmacy. The practice accepts cash, checks, major credit cards, and CareCredit, and charges a $35 returned-check fee plus 1.75% monthly finance on unpaid balances. Compensation for support staff is publicly disclosed in ranges (Veterinary Assistants $15-$23/hour; Certified Veterinary Technicians $18-$25/hour), but service pricing is not published. There is no outside ownership, no parent company, no funding history, and no indication of PE or strategic acquirer involvement; the business is positioned explicitly as a privately-owned, locally-operated independent practice, which the practice itself uses as a competitive message against corporate veterinary chains.

Name

Christensen Animal Hospital

Legal name

Christensen Animal Hospital

Website

https://pawdr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Christensen Animal Hospital is a privately-owned, full-service veterinary hospital founded in 1937 in Wilmette, Illinois, operating with two doctors and ~12 staff to serve pet owners across five North Shore Illinois communities with wellness, advanced diagnostics, laser and laparoscopic surgery, boarding, and grooming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Healthcare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (541940), Veterinary Services (54194), Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (622310)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAMAAAA

General Practice Veterinary Clinics (Wellness & Primary Care)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Veterinary Clinical Services (Companion Animal)

SECONDARYAFAEANAG

Veterinary Imaging, Surgery & Specialty Referral Centers

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Animal Health & Veterinary Services

SECONDARYHLAMACAB

Veterinary Specialty Referral Hospitals (Multi-specialty)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Emergency & Specialty Veterinary Hospitals

Keywords

• Veterinary services
• Pet healthcare
• Animal hospital
• Veterinary diagnostics
• Veterinary surgery

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Veterinary Medical Services: Comprehensive veterinary care including wellness exams, vaccinations, dental care, diagnostics, and surgical procedures. Revenue generated through per-visit fees and procedure charges.
2. Boarding and Bathing Services: Veterinarian-supervised dog and cat boarding with medication administration, outdoor runs, and grooming services
3. Grooming Services: Professional dog grooming including baths, haircuts, nail trimming, ear cleaning
4. In-House Pharmacy: On-site fully stocked pharmacy including flea/tick preventatives, heartworm medications, prescription diets and medications
5. Telehealth/Virtual Visit: $65 telecommunication fee for virtual consultations; $35 credit if pet dropped off for physical exam same day

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Christensen Animal Hospital is a privately-owned, full-service veterinary hospital providing comprehensive medical, surgical, diagnostic, boarding, and grooming care for dogs, cats, and exotic pets. It operates as a 2-doctor neighborhood hospital delivering advanced services including laser surgery, laparoscopy, digital radiology, ultrasound, and endoscopy, while also accepting referrals from other veterinarians for specialty cases.

Product overview

Christensen Animal Hospital operates as a full-service veterinary hospital offering a comprehensive suite of pet care services. The practice is organized around six core service areas: Health and Wellness Care (preventive exams, vaccinations, parasite prevention), General Medicine (dental, dermatology, pharmacy, pain management), Advanced Diagnostic Services (digital radiology, ultrasound, endoscopy, laboratory), Surgical Center (laser surgery, laparoscopic procedures), Boarding and Bathing, and Dog Grooming. The hospital also provides specialized sub-services including kitten/puppy care, senior pet care, laser therapy, and telehealth consultations. The practice serves as both a primary care provider and a referral center for advanced surgical and diagnostic procedures, operating as a 2-doctor privately-owned facility that has been serving the North Shore community for over 85 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health and Wellness Care Preventive care including annual physical exams, nutritional counseling, vaccination services, and parasite prevention for dogs, cats, and exotic pets.
• General Medicine Comprehensive medical care covering behavioral medicine, dental care, dermatology, euthanasia services, laser therapy, microchipping, nutrition counseling, pain management, and an in-house pharmacy.
• Advanced Diagnostic Services State-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities including digital radiology, digital dental radiology, ultrasound, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, rhinoscopy, in-house laboratory testing, blood pressure monitoring, and anesthesia monitoring.
• Surgical Center Full-service surgical facility offering soft tissue surgery, laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, laser surgery, and specialty procedures including upper airway evaluation, endoscopy, and laser ablation of neoplasia.
• Boarding and Bathing Veterinarian-supervised dog and cat boarding with outdoor runs, medication administration, bathing, grooming, nail trims, and ear cleanings. Also offers exotic pet boarding.
• Dog Grooming Professional dog grooming services including baths, brushing, nail trimming, ear cleaning, and haircuts tailored to all breeds and sizes.
• Telehealth/Virtual Visits Telecommunication-based consultations for pet evaluation via audio and video, with a $65 consultation fee and $35 credit if pet needs same-day physical examination.
• House Calls At-home veterinary visits for pets who are anxious about hospital visits or for aged/debilitated patients, including physical exams, vaccinations, and blood draws.

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimally invasive surgery leads to faster recovery and less pain medication required
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rebecca Edwards, DVMminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Dr. Edwards provides regular part-time services at Christensen Animal Hospital since March 2024. She graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017 and previously worked at a busy privately owned practice in Chicago's West Loop. She also supports other practices across the North Shore.
• Lisa Starr, DVM, CCRP, CVA, CVSMTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Starr provides pet rehabilitation, acupuncture, pain management, and veterinary spinal manipulative therapy (pet chiropractic care) every Wednesday from 9:00-5:00pm at the hospital. Friday and Saturday appointments available by request. She brings experience from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and previously headed Physical Rehabilitation Department at a busy specialty hospital.
• Nicole Wyatt, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Wyatt is a cardiology specialist who completed her residency at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital and holds a Master's degree focused on congenital heart disease. She provides cardiac referral evaluations and non-invasive cardiology services for referred patients.
• Illinois State Veterinary Medical AssociationminorOthersProfessional association membership for Illinois veterinarians
• Chicago Veterinary Medical AssociationminorOthersProfessional association membership for Chicago area veterinarians
• Association of Avian VeterinariansminorOthersProfessional association membership supporting exotic bird care services
• American Society for Laser Medicine and SurgeryminorOthersProfessional association supporting laser surgery capabilities and Dr. Moll's laser surgery expertise

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• VCA Animal Hospitals: Largest corporate veterinary hospital chain in North America (owned by Mars), operating general practice, specialty, and emergency hospitals nationwide. Competes directly with Christensen for pet owners in the Chicago metro and contrasts with Christensen's independent positioning that customers actively cite as a differentiator.
• MedVet: Veterinary specialty and emergency hospital chain with Chicago-area locations. Competes for surgical and diagnostic referrals that Christensen currently captures from North Shore referring veterinarians.
• Thrive Pet Healthcare: PE-backed (TPG) veterinary services platform operating general practice and specialty hospitals. Represents the type of PE consolidation Christensen's customers cite as driving them to seek independent care.
• NVA (National Veterinary Associates): Large PE-backed veterinary consolidator with a network of independently-branded hospitals. Represents the broader PE consolidation wave that Christensen positions itself against, and could acquire adjacent independent practices in the Chicago market.
• BluePearl Veterinary Partners: Corporate-owned specialty and emergency veterinary hospital chain with locations in the Chicago metro. Directly competes with Christensen's specialty surgical and advanced diagnostic referral business, particularly for high-acuity referral cases.

Direct peers

• Blum Animal Hospital: Long-established independent veterinary hospital in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Closest direct peer: similar independent, full-service, multi-doctor Chicago practice with comparable general practice and advanced service offerings.
• Veterinary Specialty Center of Chicago: Specialty veterinary referral hospital serving the Chicago metro area. Competes for the same referral cases (advanced surgery, diagnostic imaging) that Christensen's specialty services target.
• Animal Medical Center of Chicago: Independent full-service veterinary hospital in Chicago providing general practice, surgery, dentistry, and boarding. Comparable business model, customer base (urban/suburban pet owners), and ownership structure (private/independent).
• Companion Animal Hospital: Independent multi-doctor veterinary practice in suburban Chicago. Operates as a privately-owned full-service hospital serving local pet owners, directly comparable in scale and ownership to Christensen.
• Glenview Animal Hospital: Independent veterinary hospital located in Glenview, IL — one of Christensen's explicit service communities. Direct head-to-head competitor for pet owners in the overlapping North Shore geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PawDrTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChristensenAnimalHospital
• Instagraminstagram.com/christensenah
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christensen-animal-hospital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Christensen Animal Hospital