Epic Specialty & Emergency Pet Care

What Epic Specialty & Emergency Pet Care does

Epic Specialty & Emergency Pet Care is a privately held, locally owned veterinary practice operating two 24/7 emergency and specialty hospitals in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area — a flagship in St. Petersburg (3250 5th Ave. N) and a second site in Tampa (4752 N Dale Mabry Hwy), both opened in 2025. The company provides emergency triage and stabilization alongside five board-certified specialty services: Internal Medicine, Oncology, Surgery, Cardiology, and Critical Care. Its clinical technology stack includes a 128-slice CT scanner, in-house laboratory with rapid turnaround, ultrasound, digital radiography, and electrochemotherapy for oncology. The Tampa location is currently accepting oncology appointments only, with the remainder of the specialty mix concentrated at the St. Petersburg flagship.

The company generates revenue through professional service fees — examination charges, diagnostic tests, procedures, hospitalization, and specialist consultations — billed at the time of service. Customer-facing payment is facilitated through a partnership with Cherry, offering buy-now-pay-later financing (0% APR and interest-bearing plans) so Epic receives full payment upfront while owners spread the cost. The customer base is composed of individual dog and cat owners in the Tampa Bay MSA, supplemented by referrals from primary care veterinarians via a secure referral portal. Go-to-market is primarily community-led and direct: walk-in emergency access, scheduled specialty appointments, content marketing through educational blogs and social channels, and grassroots positioning as a locally owned alternative to corporate-owned specialty chains.

The company was founded by Dr. Cathy Meeks (Medical Director, formerly VP of Medical Operations at Antech Diagnostics), Dr. Joshua Lachowicz (boarded oncologist, formerly at BluePearl and United Vet Care), and Mairim Gersholowitz (President). No private equity, venture capital, or parent-company backing is disclosed. The leadership team has assembled roughly 80+ named clinical and operational staff, including multiple VTS-certified technicians and specialists trained at institutions such as UC Davis, Colorado State, Wisconsin-Madison, Ohio State, and the Royal Veterinary College. The company has received regional recognition including Tampa Style Magazine's 2025 Veterinarian of the Year award (Dr. Cristina Metral).

Name

Epic Specialty & Emergency Pet Care

Legal name

Epic Specialty & Emergency Pet Care

Website

https://epicvetcare.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Epic Specialty & Emergency Pet Care is a locally owned veterinary practice operating two 24/7 emergency and specialty hospitals in Tampa Bay, Florida, delivering board-certified Internal Medicine, Oncology, Surgery, Cardiology, and Critical Care services to dog and cat owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAMACAB

Veterinary Specialty Referral Hospitals (Multi-specialty)

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

SECONDARYHLAMACAA

Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Hospitals

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

Keywords

• Veterinary emergency services
• Specialty veterinary care
• Pet oncology treatment
• Veterinary surgical services
• Emergency pet care

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Petersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Emergency Veterinary Services: 24/7 emergency care for dogs and cats including triage, stabilization, diagnostics, emergency surgery, and continuous monitoring. Revenue generated through examination fees, diagnostic tests, treatments, and hospitalization charges.
2. Specialty Veterinary Services: Specialty services including Internal Medicine, Oncology, Surgery, Cardiology, and Critical Care provided by board-certified specialists. Revenue from consultations, procedures, and ongoing treatment plans.
3. Cherry Payment Plans Partnership: Partnership with Cherry financing allowing pet owners to pay over time. Cherry earns interest on payment plans; Epic receives full payment at time of service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Epic Specialty & Emergency Pet Care operates two locally owned 24/7 veterinary hospitals in St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida, providing emergency triage, stabilization, advanced diagnostics, and hospitalization for dogs and cats. The practice delivers board-certified specialty care in internal medicine, oncology, surgery, cardiology, and critical care, leveraging advanced imaging including a 128-slice CT scanner, in-house laboratory, ultrasound, and digital radiography to treat complex and urgent medical cases. Services are paid at time of care with pet insurance reimbursement and Cherry buy-now-pay-later financing available to clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Veterinary Care 24/7 walk-in emergency veterinary services for dogs and cats in the Tampa Bay area, providing triage, stabilization, diagnostics, emergency surgery, and continuous monitoring for urgent and life-threatening conditions such as trauma, toxin ingestion, respiratory distress, and collapse.
• Critical Care Intensive care for critically ill pets requiring continuous monitoring, advanced life support, and specialized treatment protocols led by a board-certified criticalist.
• Internal Medicine Advanced diagnostic and therapeutic care for pets with complex medical conditions affecting the gastrointestinal system, kidneys, endocrine system, liver, respiratory system, heart, and lungs, including IBD, diabetes, kidney disease, and immune-mediated diseases.
• Surgery Comprehensive soft tissue, orthopedic, endoscopic, and thoracic surgical services performed by board-certified surgeons, including minimally invasive techniques for routine and complex cases.
• Oncology Cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management for pets including comprehensive cancer diagnostics, individualized treatment plans, chemotherapy, electrochemotherapy, pain management, and palliative care focused on quality of life.
• Cardiology Advanced cardiac evaluation and management including echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, digital thoracic radiographs, blood pressure monitoring, and Holter monitoring for diagnosis of heart conditions, arrhythmias, and congenital defects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24/7 emergency care availability 365 days a year
• +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

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MedVet: Employee-owned network of veterinary specialty and emergency hospitals operating across multiple US states including Florida. Directly comparable to Epic as a multi-specialty referral and 24/7 emergency provider offering oncology, surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, and critical care — competing for the same board-certified specialist talent and primary-vet referrals in the Florida market.
• BluePearl Veterinary Specialists: One of the largest US networks of specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals, with multiple locations in Florida. Directly comparable to Epic because it competes for the same referral-based specialty and emergency caseload in Tampa Bay, including oncology, surgery, internal medicine, and 24/7 emergency — Epic's founder previously served as Medical Director and VP of Medicine at BluePearl NYC.
• Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG): Rapidly growing US chain of 24/7 emergency-only veterinary hospitals with a customer-experience-led model. Comparable to Epic's emergency service line because both operate walk-in, no-appointment 24/7 emergency hospitals and compete for the same after-hours caseload; VEG's brand-led positioning mirrors Epic's emphasis on differentiated client experience versus traditional corporate ERs.
• Fetch Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Hospitals: Specialty and 24/7 emergency veterinary hospital group with Florida locations. Directly comparable to Epic because both operate the same multi-specialty-plus-emergency referral model (oncology, surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, critical care) and compete for the same Tampa Bay referral pipeline and board-certified specialist pool.

Regional players

• Pet Emergency & Specialty Center: Independently operated 24/7 emergency and specialty veterinary hospitals in Florida markets adjacent to Tampa Bay. Comparable to Epic because both run the same locally-owned specialty + emergency model in Florida and compete for the same referring primary-care veterinarian relationships in the broader Tampa/Orlando/Sarasota corridor.

Broad incumbents

• VCA Animal Hospitals: Mars Petcare-owned network of more than 1,000 general, specialty, and emergency veterinary hospitals across the US, including significant Florida presence. Comparable to Epic as a broad incumbent that offers overlapping specialty/emergency capabilities as part of a much wider portfolio, but does not specialize exclusively in the locally-owned referral niche Epic occupies.
• NVA (National Veterinary Associates): Large US veterinary hospital operator spanning general practice, specialty, and emergency under multiple brands, with locations in Florida. Comparable to Epic as a broad incumbent that operates specialty/emergency hospitals alongside primary care, but at significantly greater scale and with corporate ownership that Epic explicitly positions against.
• Thrive Pet Healthcare: Multi-brand veterinary services platform (specialty, emergency, primary care, and ancillary) operating hundreds of locations across the US. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the specialty/emergency space that competes for referrals and talent, but with a diversified portfolio rather than a specialty/emergency-only focus like Epic.

Emerging players

• Tampa Veterinary Hospital: Long-established Tampa-area veterinary practice offering primary and some specialty services. Partially comparable to Epic because it shares the Tampa Bay service area and draws from the same pet-owner base, but lacks the dedicated 24/7 emergency and board-certified specialty positioning that defines Epic's offering.

Others

• PetSmart Veterinary Services (Banfield): Largest US general-practice veterinary chain, operating inside PetSmart stores and offering adjacent wellness plans. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that shapes pet-owner expectations around veterinary service convenience and pricing, but not a direct specialty/emergency competitor to Epic's referral model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EPIC-Specialty-and-Emergency-Pet-Care-61569605347792
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epicvetcare
• Pinterestpinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fepicvetcare.com%2F

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Epic Specialty & Emergency Pet Care