South Metro Animal Emergency Care

What South Metro Animal Emergency Care does

South Metro Animal Emergency Care (SMAEC) is a single-location, 24/7/365 emergency veterinary hospital founded in 1997 and headquartered in Apple Valley, Minnesota, serving the Twin Cities metro area and surrounding communities. The hospital operates with at least one veterinarian and several veterinary technicians on site during all hours, providing emergency care, end-of-life services, diagnostic imaging, in-house laboratory testing, surgery, hospitalization, oxygen therapy, and blood transfusions to pet owners whose animals require immediate intervention outside regular veterinary hours. The facility is AAHA-accredited and includes specialized capabilities such as a feline-conscious handling area, three Snyder Oxygen Units for large-breed pets, and board-certified radiologist interpretation. SMAEC generates revenue through per-case emergency exam fees ($229 baseline) plus diagnostics, treatment, and surgery charges, with payment expected at time of service and third-party financing available through CareCredit, Scratchpay, and pet insurance reimbursement.

The company employs 23 staff and operates within a referral network connecting primary care veterinarians who transfer patients after-hours via doctor-to-doctor communication and electronic medical record transfer through rvetlink.com. SMAEC is a subsidiary of Lakefield Veterinary Group, a diversified veterinary hospital conglomerate, which provides centralized corporate governance, marketing, and administrative functions. Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer walk-in emergency care supplemented by veterinarian referrals, with marketing channels including a content website, Facebook, Yelp, a quarterly newsletter, client education resources, and a digital marketing kit distributed to referring clinics. No public financial disclosures, funding rounds, or AI capabilities are present in available data.

Name

South Metro Animal Emergency Care

Legal name

South Metro Animal Emergency Care

Website

https://smaec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

South Metro Animal Emergency Care is a 24/7/365 emergency veterinary hospital in Apple Valley, Minnesota, serving pet owners and primary care veterinarians in the Twin Cities metro area with emergency, diagnostic, surgical, and end-of-life care since 1997.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Veterinary Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (541940)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Companion Animal Veterinary Clinics & Hospitals (AFAEANAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Urgent Care Veterinary Clinics (Non-ER) (HLAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Emergency veterinary care
• Veterinary hospital services
• Animal emergency services
• Pet surgical services
• Veterinary diagnostics

Headquarters

HQ city

Apple Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Emergency Veterinary Services: Provides emergency veterinary care 24/7 with payment expected at time of service. Revenue generated through examination fees, diagnostic tests, treatments, surgeries, and hospitalization services.
2. Third-Party Payment Plans: Partners with CareCredit and Scratchpay to offer payment plan options to customers, facilitating access to care while ensuring payment collection through financing partners.
3. Pet Insurance Processing: Processes pet insurance claims where customers pay upfront and are reimbursed by insurance providers. Partners with Pawlicy Advisor for insurance referrals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

South Metro Animal Emergency Care provides 24/7 emergency veterinary medical services for companion animals, including emergency triage, in-house diagnostics, surgery, hospitalization, blood transfusion, therapeutic treatment, and end-of-life care. The clinic is AAHA accredited and operates a feline-conscious facility, serving pet owners in Apple Valley, MN and the surrounding south metro area.

Product overview

South Metro Animal Emergency Care is a 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital operating since 1997 in Apple Valley, MN, serving the Twin Cities community. The company offers a unified set of emergency veterinary services centered around Emergency Care and End of Life Care as core offerings. Supporting these primary services are Diagnostic Services (in-house laboratory and imaging), Surgical Services, Hospitalization and Observation, Blood Transfusion Services, and Therapeutic Services. The facility also includes a Feline Conscious Facility for stress-free feline handling. Additional support services include Client Education Resources (newsletters, blog posts) and Referral Services for primary care veterinarians. The hospital operates 365 days a year with at least one veterinarian and several veterinary technicians on site during all hours. The company is AAHA accredited and is part of Lakefield Veterinary Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Care 24/7 emergency veterinary triage and treatment for sick or injured companion animals, serving pet owners in Apple Valley, MN and the surrounding south metro area. Starts with a $229 emergency exam fee.
• End of Life Care Humane end-of-life veterinary services for companion animals, including euthanasia and related support for pet owners.
• Diagnostic Services In-house laboratory and imaging diagnostic services to quickly identify conditions in emergency veterinary patients.
• Surgical Services Emergency surgical procedures for companion animals, performed in the clinic's AAHA-accredited facility.
• Hospitalization Inpatient hospitalization services for companion animals requiring ongoing monitoring and treatment after emergency admission.
• Blood Transfusion Blood transfusion services for companion animals in critical or emergency conditions.
• Therapeutic Services Therapeutic treatments for companion animals recovering from illness or injury, including supportive and ongoing medical care.
• Feline Conscious Facility A dedicated feline-conscious facility designed to reduce stress for cats during emergency treatment and hospitalization.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lakefield Veterinary GroupcoreOthersParent company that owns and operates South Metro Animal Emergency Care as part of a veterinary hospital group. Provides centralized marketing, privacy policy, and corporate governance.
• CareCreditcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealthcare credit card partner enabling pet owners to finance emergency veterinary care with flexible payment options including promotional no-interest periods.
• ScratchpaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPayment plan provider specifically for pet medical expenses. Offers 3-24 month payment plans with no credit card required and no hidden fees.
• Pawlicy AdvisorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPet insurance comparison platform recommended to customers for reviewing and comparing pet insurance options to help manage veterinary costs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Mission Veterinary Partners: Veterinary hospital group operating a network of general practice and emergency hospitals across multiple U.S. states. Comparable on hospital ownership model and on emergency service offerings within a multi-site network.
• Thrive Pet Healthcare: Multi-specialty veterinary care platform offering primary, emergency, and specialty services across the U.S. Comparable to Lakefield Veterinary Group's positioning as a hospital owner, and a potential consolidator competing for the same regional footprint.
• VCA Animal Hospitals: Large national network of general, specialty, and emergency veterinary hospitals. Overlaps with SMAEC on emergency and surgical services but operates across a much broader portfolio including primary care.
• National Veterinary Associates (NVA): Owner and operator of a large portfolio of companion animal veterinary hospitals, including emergency and specialty sites. Comparable as a parent-company model and indirect competitor for staff, referral partners, and regional market share.

Direct peers

• Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG): Fast-growing emergency-only veterinary hospital chain focused exclusively on after-hours and emergency care for pets. Closely aligned with SMAEC's 24/7 walk-in emergency model and customer experience positioning.
• Ethos Veterinary Health: Network of specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals offering 24/7 emergency care alongside specialty services like surgery and internal medicine. Directly comparable on emergency clinical scope and referral-driven demand.
• BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital: National chain of emergency and specialty veterinary hospitals operating 24/7 facilities across the U.S. Closest comparable in service model—emergency triage, advanced diagnostics, surgery, and specialty referral—and competes for both pet owners and primary care vet referrals.
• Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota: Twin Cities-based emergency and referral veterinary hospital offering 24/7 emergency care, surgery, and specialty services. Directly comparable to SMAEC on geography, service mix, and target customer (pet owners and referring primary care vets in the same metro).
• MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets: Emergency and specialty veterinary hospital chain with 24/7 emergency services and multi-specialty capabilities. Comparable to SMAEC on emergency care delivery, surgical offerings, and B2B referral channels from primary care veterinarians.

Regional players

• Affiliated Emergency Veterinary Service: Minnesota-based emergency veterinary service group operating multiple emergency clinics in the Twin Cities region. Direct regional competitor for after-hours emergency cases and primary care vet referrals in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/smaec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-metro-animal-emergency-care

Compliance1 record

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 South Metro Animal Emergency Care