Partners Veterinary Group

What Partners Veterinary Group does

Partners Veterinary Group (PVG) is a privately held veterinary services consolidator founded in 2021 by Dr. Joe Whalen and Dr. Scott Petereit, both 1991 graduates of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. The company recruits associate veterinarians with three or more years of clinical experience and transitions them into managing partners with equity stakes in newly opened or acquired animal hospitals. Headquartered in Libertyville, Illinois, PVG operates 10+ Partners Animal Hospital locations across Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, with additional Florida openings planned in Wesley Chapel and Lakewood Ranch. Each hospital is independently operated by its managing partner while leveraging a centralized corporate support layer.

The core offering, the Practice Ownership Program, combines acquisition and startup capital (sourced in part through Old National Bank), mentorship from the founders, and comprehensive administrative services including HR, bookkeeping, payroll, inventory, vendor negotiation, and practice-software setup. Technology infrastructure is built on a third-party vendor stack: Pulse by Covetrus for practice management, RocketPACS for imaging, PetDesk for client communication and loyalty, Vetstoria for online scheduling, Vetcove for inventory, and IDEXX Learning Center for team education. All hospitals pursue or hold American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accreditation against approximately 900 quality standards.

PVG makes money through managed-services fees charged to partner practices and through equity/financing arrangements tied to each practice. End customers are local pet owners purchasing veterinary services through individual hospital locations; the upstream customer is the associate veterinarian who joins the ownership program. The go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: founders lecture at eleven veterinary schools, the company maintains a talent network, and hospital locations drive local community referrals. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed private equity or venture capital backing, and growth is funded through operating cash flow and the founders' prior exit of Companion Animal Partners (13 locations sold to MVP in 2021).

Name

Partners Veterinary Group

Legal name

Partners Veterinary Group LLC

Website

https://partnersvet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Partners Veterinary Group is a private veterinary services consolidator that recruits associate veterinarians into a practice ownership program, providing capital, mentorship, and centralized administrative support across a network of AAHA-accredited animal hospitals in Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Healthcare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Veterinary Services (541940)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise & Multi-site Veterinary Operations (Corporate/Group Practice) (HLAMAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-site/Corporate Group Operations Platforms (Franchise/MSO Tools, Standardization) (HLAMAGAM), Companion Animal Veterinary Clinics & Hospitals (AFAEANAA)

Keywords

• Veterinary practice ownership
• Veterinary hospital management
• Veterinary practice financing
• Veterinary partnership model
• Animal hospital services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Prospect

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Practice Management and Administrative Services: Partners Veterinary Group provides comprehensive administrative support to managing partners including HR services, bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, inventory management, vendor negotiations, and practice management mentoring. Revenue is generated through practice management fees from partner practices.
2. Capital and Financing Support: The company provides acquisition support, startup capital, and financing assistance to practice owners, likely generating revenue through equity stakes or financing arrangements in the practices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Partners Veterinary Group operates a veterinary partnership model that helps licensed veterinarians achieve practice ownership by providing acquisition support, startup capital, financing, and ongoing mentorship. The company runs a network of AAHA-accredited Partners Animal Hospitals delivering wellness, preventive care, advanced imaging, dentistry, and surgery services, while supplying managing partners with centralized administrative support including HR, bookkeeping, payroll, inventory management, vendor negotiation, and marketing services.

Product overview

Partners Veterinary Group operates as a veterinary partnership organization offering a comprehensive practice ownership model. The core offering is the Partners Veterinary Group Practice Ownership Program, which enables veterinarians to become practice owners through acquisition support, capital provision, financing, and mentorship. Underpinning this are Partners Animal Hospitals—a network of independently operated practices delivering veterinary services from wellness and preventive care to advanced imaging, dentistry, and orthopedic surgery. Supporting modules include Administrative Support Services (HR, bookkeeping, payroll, marketing, vendor negotiation), Veterinary Equipment and Technology (digital radiography, ultrasound, therapeutic laser, etc.), Continuing Education Programs (access to VHMA, Fear Free, VIN, and other platforms), Veterinary School Speaking Engagements, the Externship Program for veterinary students, and a comprehensive Employee Benefits Package. The model provides practice owners with autonomy while leveraging centralized support infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Partners Veterinary Group Practice Ownership Program A veterinary partnership model that helps licensed veterinarians achieve practice ownership through acquisition support, startup capital, financing, and mentorship to operate high-quality, service-driven veterinary practices. Includes location selection, build-out coordination, equipment procurement, HR services, bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, inventory management, vendor negotiation, and ongoing practice management mentoring. Targeted at associate veterinarians with at least 3 years of clinical experience.
• Partners Animal Hospital Network A network of independently operated, AAHA-accredited veterinary hospitals providing wellness, preventive care, advanced imaging, dentistry, orthopedic surgery, and related services, with some locations also offering daycare, intensive care, and grooming. Each hospital serves local pet owners under the Partners Animal Hospital brand while leveraging centralized administrative, technology, and vendor support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Managing partners can earn $250,000+ take-home pay within first 3 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Veterinary Management Group (VMG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners Veterinary Group founders are members of Veterinary Management Group, which meets bi-annually to discuss latest topics in veterinary business. All Partners practices benefit from VMG membership for peer networking and best practice sharing.
• CovetruscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartners Animal Hospitals use Pulse Practice Management System by Covetrus, Covetrus Prescription Management online pharmacy, and Vetcove inventory ordering platform for streamlined hospital operations.
• PetDeskmajorTechnology or IntegrationPartners uses PetDesk platform for online appointment requesting, mobile app with Partners Perks loyalty program, email and text healthcare reminders, two-way client texting, and Retriever medical record integrated VOIP phone system.
• IDEXXmajorTechnology or IntegrationPartners uses IDEXX Learning Center for team education and access to IDEXX diagnostics and consulting services including radiology consults with board-certified radiologists.
• Patterson Veterinary UniversitymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners team members access continuing education through Patterson Veterinary University, one of the major veterinary supply and education companies.
• Fear FreemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners provides Fear Free Certification for team members, a program focused on reducing fear, anxiety, and stress in pets during veterinary visits.
• Green Mile, One More Dog Rescue, Inc., The Chicagoland Lab Rescue, Charlotte Corgi ClubminorOthersCommunity partnerships with local animal rescue organizations. Partners donates time and support to these non-profits as part of community engagement strategy.
• Sabadoodle (Student Loan Planning)minorOthersFinancial planning service recommended for student loan planning and financial planning for veterinarians. Partners recommends new veterinarians negotiate in their contracts for the practice to pay for this service.
• VBMA (Veterinary Business Management Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Joe Whalen serves as VBMA speaker for multiple universities including University of Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Minnesota, Lincoln Memorial, Virginia-Maryland, NC State, Mississippi State, Iowa State, St. George's, and UC Davis.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VetCor: VetCor is a multi-site veterinary group practice operating hundreds of hospitals across the US with a culture-focused ownership-support model. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Partners' partnership hospital approach.
• Veterinary Practice Partners (VPP): VPP operates a partnership model that helps veterinarians co-own practices, mirroring Partners Veterinary Group's core ownership-program offering. Both target associate veterinarians seeking ownership pathways with administrative and capital support.

Broad incumbents

• AmeriVet Veterinary Partners: AmeriVet acquires and operates veterinary practices nationwide with a partnership model for veterinarian owners. Its structure and target segment closely mirror Partners Veterinary Group's growth model.
• VCA Animal Hospitals (Mars Petcare): VCA operates over 1,000 veterinary hospitals across the US and Canada as part of Mars Petcare. It is the largest broad incumbent establishing the scale benchmark against which smaller consolidators like Partners compete.
• PetVet Care Centers: PetVet Care Centers operates a large network of veterinary hospitals across multiple states with a similar mix of general practice and specialty services. It is a comparable multi-site operator targeting the same customer base.
• National Veterinary Associates (NVA): NVA is one of the largest PE-backed veterinary consolidators in the US, operating a multi-state network of companion animal hospitals. It competes with Partners for both practice acquisitions and associate veterinarian talent.
• BluePearl Veterinary Partners: BluePearl operates a national network of specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals. While more specialty-focused, it competes for the same experienced veterinarian talent pool in overlapping metro markets.
• Thrive Pet Healthcare: Thrive Pet Healthcare operates a multi-site network of general practice, specialty, and emergency veterinary hospitals across the US. It is a comparable consolidator pursuing the same associate-veterinarian recruitment funnel.
• Mission Veterinary Partners (MVP): MVP is a PE-backed multi-site veterinary hospital operator that acquired the founders' previous venture (Companion Animal Partners, 13 hospitals) in 2021. It is a directly comparable consolidator in the same Midwest and national footprint.

Emerging players

• Innovetive Petcare: Innovetive Petcare acquires and partners with veterinary hospitals, offering operational support and ownership pathways. It is a smaller emerging consolidator operating in adjacent markets with a similar partnership model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/partners-veterinary-group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Partners Veterinary Group