BUSINESS - Pros and Cons: Corporatization of the Veterinary Industry

(Banfield Pet Hospital)

The Mars acquisition of VCA has resulted in concern in some parts of the veterinary community.

There are vets who have felt disenfranchised and restricted by corporatization, and others who feel that corporatization compromises vet care.

Banfield pet hospitals, an earlier Mars acquisition, have faced significant criticism from vets whose practices were purchased and brought under their corporate management.

Banfield was purchased by Mars in 2007, and Mars further expanded into the pet healthcare industry in 2015 with the acquisition of BluePearl.

Although Banfield’s mixed reputation caused some pause for BluePearl executives when Mars approached them, Dr. Neil Shaw outlined some of the benefits of being acquired by Mars.

Some of the benefits that Shaw saw for BluePearl in the acquisition included:  

1. Ability to solicit input from successful professionals in other service industries on how to develop the very best models for service
2. Grow our internal team development/training capability
3. Provide additional advancement opportunities for all team members
4. Hopefully be able to increase our benefit package over time
5. Grow the organization by expanding the number of BluePearl hospitals to reach more pets
6. Increase the efficiency of the referral process for it to have a larger footprint within the veterinary community
   
   

These benefits are among the many reasons that corporatization, controversial though it may be, offers hope for an industry currently struggling with mental health crises and frequent burn-out, the high cost of turnover among veterinary teams, and a changing dynamic when it comes to practice management.

As Today’s Veterinary Practice noted last year, “today’s veterinary practice is no longer part of an insignificant, mom-and-pop industry; instead, it is an exciting, evolving marketplace to which the rest of the world is paying close attention.”

Increasing the support base for veterinarians has the potential to alleviate these pressures on individual veterinarians, and that would be good for everyone from the boardroom to the waiting room to the homes of well-cared-for clients.

The Mars acquisition of VCA is an interesting move, and structurally different than both the Banfield and BluePearl acquisitions.

Unlike both Banfield and BluePearl, which were companies founded by veterinarians, none of VCA’s founders are vets.

Despite this, VCA has gained a reputation that eluded Banfield and although views among the veterinary community are mixed, the company has a reputation for providing consistent quality care in its clinics and hospitals.

If Mars is able to incorporate VCA’s positive reputation and approach to pet healthcare, the merger has the potential to offer significant benefits to both vets and clients.

One of the ways corporatization could work as a positive force, and a focus that Mars will benefit from and hopefully avoid the mixed results seen by Banfield, is to centre veterinarian agency and autonomy – to offer support and infrastructure and business training to the veterinarians, without rigidly dictating how they do their jobs.

This was the main complaint from vets who disliked or distrusted corporatization, and, in the UK, where the agency of individual vets has been preserved within corporatization, the response is much more universally positive.

Simon Innes, the chief executive of CVS in the UK, told The Telegraph, “You don’t really need to dictate to clinicians. The minute you start to do that, is the minute they say no… The idea of the model is that at the business end we create an environment where vets can get on with what they are good at: treating clients. We help them by giving them professional support they need.”

What do you think about the corporatization of the veterinary industry?

Watch InfoStream this week for a YourSAYTM survey and share your views.

About Tiffany Sostar

Tiffany is a published academic, an editor with the Editors Association of Canada, an independent scholar and researcher, and a self-care and narrative coach. She is particularly interested in the intersection of technology and identity - how our tools shape our selves and change our stories, and in how the nature of work is changing as we incorporate more technology into our daily lives.

BREAKING - VCA to be Acquired by Mars Inc.

Mars Inc announced this morning it will acquire VCA Inc.

The acquisition will be an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $9.1 billion and will provide VCA shareholders with US$93 per share for VCA common stock. 

According to the news release from Mars Inc., VCA will operate as a separate business unit within Mars Petcare. The deal is expected to close in Q3 2017.

According to an internal document circulated to employees of Associate Vet Clinics (AVC) in Canada, no changes to the operations, management or employee relationships are contemplated at this time. AVC, the largest owner of veterinary clinics in Canada was purchased by VCA Inc, in 2012. 

Other information services are also reporting this transaction:

Business Insider 

Market Watch

Bloomberg News

HEALTH - Veterinarian Urges Caution Around Home Pet Health Devices

Some pet health technologies are turning heads.

One example is Petnostics – a $10 disposable cup with a lid equipped with an integrated urine test strip. Combined with the Petnostics app on your SmartPhone, pet owners can then use the app to scan the test strip and be alerted to potential health concerns.

While proactivity with pet health is encouraged by the veterinary community, Dr. Danny Joffe of Associate Vet Clinics in Calgary advises pet owners looking to purchase home-use pet health trackers to use caution.

“The question is always should people be using home checking devices? Or will they have pet owners chasing red herrings and result in even higher veterinary costs than anticipated?”

According to their website, the goal of Petnostics is to allow pet owners to perform the same urine test vets perform at their clinics - “at a fraction of the cost of a vet visit, you'll be able to better engage with your pet's health.”

Joffe said while the most effective method for testing an animal to see if there are viable health concerns continues to be blood and urine analysis, he is wary of any low-cost home testing kit (for urine) because they could trigger unnecessary fears in pet owners by detecting every minor abnormality that a licensed veterinarian may consider to be of no actual concern.

“There’s no magic bullet,” said Joffe, who added that a pet health tool he is in favour of is an activity tracker that a dog could use as a collar – for example, a FitBark or another type of Fitbit-model collar for canines; these collars are typically used to measure heart rates, respiratory rates and may have the ability to indicate levels of pain. Joffe said they should be used in conjunction with veterinary assessments to monitor your pet’s ongoing health.

American reality investor show, Shark Tank, showcased Petnostics recently as presented by founder/owner Stephen Chen. His presentation was a success, resulting in investments from two show hosts – Kevin O’Leary and Lori Grenier – for a combined stake of 20%.

By Lindsay Seewalt

Lindsay is an experienced journalist and mother of three whose heart and home is always open to a four-legged friend. With her Corgi, Angie, as household editor-in-chief, Lindsay gives back to the animal planet through the written word on anything and all ado about pets. She is passionate about topics regarding animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, which she aims to instill in both her readers and children to be compassionate animal lovers who are conscious and considerate that furry friends around the globe deserve a voice.

HEALTH - Keep Your Dog Safe From Parvo

Veterinarians are cautioning dog owners to be mindful of their pet’s vaccinations – particularly puppy boosters, as there has been an increase in Canine Parvovirus this spring season - a highly infectious disease that is easily transmitted between dogs.

In 2016 there has been an outbreak in Alaska and increased incidence in Calgary and surrounding area.

According to Dr. Danny Joffe, national director of Associate Vet Clinics (AVC) who works out of the C.A.R.E. Centre in Calgary, AB, dogs who contract Parvovirus suffer an 80-90% mortality rate if left untreated.

“We see Parvo all the time – especially in the spring,” said Joffe, who stressed that the best way to protect dogs is not to skip out on those three initial puppy vaccinations and to follow up with the Parvovirus vaccine (which can now be administered every three years).

“For new puppy owners, that’s the first thing they want to do – show off their new addition – but that can be a really, really big mistake,” he said, adding that it is not advisable to take puppies in public or off-leash areas until after four months and  the initial three booster vaccines have been given.

The viral illness is spread through fecal-oral transmission and is frequently carried by coyote and wolf populations; most cases are in dogs aged six weeks to six months and if treated early enough, vets have a success rate around 95%.

Parvovirus rates can be higher in rural areas, where there is more exposure to wild dogs, both semi-feral and feral; southern Calgary has seen a spike in Parvovirus this season, likely due to higher exposures to urban coyote populations.

“Classic signs of Parvovirus include severe diarrhea often with blood and severe vomiting, followed by extreme lethargy,” said Joffe, adding that his clinic sees around 15 cases each year with spikes in the fall and spring seasons.

The AVC are comprised of some 75 vet clinics in four provinces (Alberta, B.C., Ontario and Quebec) with a mandate to ‘provide friendly and compassionate care’ for pets, including 24-hour emergency services.

One of the best methods of safe and efficient veterinary care for pets is the ability to provide emergency care staff with access to up-to-date information on pets.

Enter HomeSafeTM through PetLynx – the ‘supernet for pets and people’. For a single payment, HomeSafeTM offers a lifetime membership for owners to register their pets.

”A system like HomeSafeTM that allows owners to keep track of their pet’s vaccination history and due dates for vaccines (as well as other medical information) can only help ensure that pet’s vaccines are up to date.  A client can check at any time to tell when vaccines are next due,” said Joffe.

“For diseases like Parvovirus, prevention is much easier and much less expensive than treatment, and systems like HomeSafeTM can only serve to help maximize vaccine compliance.”

The benefits to registration include access to veterinary information; a universal passport for emergency care staff to access all veterinary info; and a network to help find your lost pet from anywhere in the world.

Learn more about how HomeSafeTM gives service providers and emergency personnel the resources needed to keep your pet safe, healthy, & comfortable.

By Lindsay Seewalt

Lindsay is an experienced journalist and mother of three whose heart and home is always open to a four-legged friend. With her Corgi, Angie, as household editor-in-chief, Lindsay gives back to the animal planet through the written word on anything and all ado about pets. She is passionate about topics regarding animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, which she aims to instill in both her readers and children to be compassionate animal lovers who are conscious and considerate that furry friends around the globe deserve a voice.

Collaboration Adds HomeSafe™ Services to AVC Clients

Associate Veterinary Clinics (AVC) have announced the launch of their collaboration with PetLynx Corporation to add the HomeSafeTM online pet records and automatic Return to Owner (RTO) services to their clients across Canada. This collaboration is an element of the AVC Paw It Forward program which enriches the lives of people and pets in each community where they are present.

Review AVC HomeSafeTM Brochure

This AVC / PetLynx collaboration expects to add 300,000 new registrations to the HomeSafeTM program and represents an investment of more than $8 million CDN under the National Identification Initiative for people and pets in Canada.

INTERVIEW: Follow-Up with Larry Evans about HomeSafe™ and AnimalTRACS™

On June 30th InfoStream met with Larry Evans the Managing Director of PetLynx Corporation to discuss what makes PetLynx offerings different from other registries and return to owner services. Read the first part of this interview. Today InfoStream will delve into the business aspects of PetLynx Corporation.  

HomeSafe™ is the brand associated with Canada’s only automated national online registry and lifetime Return to Owner (RTO) subscription for pets. Pet owners can use any online device to access and maintain current information about their pet without charge during a lifetime of human/animal experiences. AnimalTRACS™ is a portal that allows ‘ethical’ service providers in each community to assist clients, to identify pets and to support automated recovery services.

InfoStream (IS): Recently we’ve heard about some invoicing confusion. Can you help us understand what this confusion is about?

Larry R. Evans (LRE): Yes, this situation came about without warning and it was very disappointing.

Access to the AnimalTRACS™ portal is provided with an annual subscription. Until the 2009/2010 subscription year (June 1 - May 31) PetLynx invoiced Authorized Service Centers directly for this subscription. In 2009, Petsecure launched a National Microchip Program that was a collaboration that included PetSecure, PetLynx and CDMV. The Petsecure program allowed service providers who supported the Western Financial Insurance brand to have a free AnimalTRACS™ subscription, low cost microchips and certain other benefits. Although the program brought a great deal of growth to HomeSafe™, management changes at Western Financial Insurance Corporation in late 2012 made the program uncertain and WFIC financial support was suddenly cancelled in 2014.

Recently, CDMV and PetLynx collaborated to launch a new National Identification Initiative (NIDI) that expects to provide every cat and dog in Canada with a pet owner managed online record and Return to Owner (RTO) service before the end of this decade. Two invoices were sent to many Authorized Service Centers, a credit ($472.50) invoice to eliminate outstanding 2014 receivable and an invoice ($126.00) for the 2015/2016 AnimalTRACS™ subscription. The confusion stems from service centers who were supported by Petsecure, who did not recognize the involvement of PetLynx or CDMV and because they became involved after 2009 may not have received an invoice for the AnimalTRACS™ subscription.

IS: With that clarifying the confusion, can you describe what happens if a service centre no longer wishes to be involved in the HomeSafe™ program?

LRE: All PetLynx programs are opt in. When service centers are no longer active or do not wish to participate in the HomeSafe™ program, we ask for a warm introduction to another service provider in the community and remove them from the subscription billing routine, the map of authorized service centers and remove their password/access to the AnimalTRACS™ portal.

IS: Can you describe why a service center might choose to opt in to the HomeSafe™ program and maintain access to the AnimalTRACS™ portal?

LRE: In my recent discussions, there seem to be four reasons why existing service providers opt in and new service providers choose to enroll in the HomeSafe/AnimalTRACS™ program:

• They already serve some of the hundreds or even thousands of animals and pet owners registered in their community and they see this a way to continue enriching the lives of people and pets in their community.
• They enjoy being able to eliminate paperwork and immediately register microchips, tattoos and other identification in each animal record regardless of the microchip/ID supplier.
• Some service providers like pet walkers, pooper scoopers, pet daycare, groomers. kennels and breeders see HomeSafe™ as a security element for their own services and enjoy the immediate online access to the animal’s care profile, medications and contacts if an emergency occurs.
• Finally, a majority of service providers bundle the HomeSafe™ life time RTO subscription with their service as an added value. An AnimalTRACS™ subscriber may purchase bulk HomeSafe™ subscriptions from CDMV at a very attractive price ($2.00/subscription) and provide the subscription as a ‘freemium’ or discounted subscription for their clients. Clients pay $29.00 for a HomeSafe™ lifetime subscription online so a HomeSafe™ lifetime animal subscription from a veterinarian or other service provider will generate goodwill and eliminate or reduce the cost of this benefit for the pet owner.

IS: How can PetLynx sustain the HomeSafe™ system with such a low cost?

LRE: That is our ‘secret sauce’ to some degree. Suffice it to say, PetLynx has discovered a way to re-purpose brand influencer and loyalty dollars while eliminating or reducing the costs of agencies and services that require access to clients and animal information. PetLynx executes this monetization strategy while protecting the privacy and electronic commerce  aspects of each client relationship. This unique PetLynx monetization strategy lifts the funding burden from the shoulders of the pet owner, re-purposes the dollars brands already spend and ensures a more efficient model for providing services across the Urban Animal industry.

IS: Why has PetLynx moved into the lead as a provider of online services?

LRE:  We spent 8 years trying to move PetLynx services through traditional Urban Animal channels. In 2014, Dr. Drew Van Niekerk took the reins at PetLynx so I could take time to examine what was driving our success. I discovered consumer’s were driving the HomeSafe ™ program far more effectively than channel partners. At the end of 2014, PetLynx announced a ‘Moonshot’ program to register every dog and cat in Canada before the end of the decade. Now PetLynx looks for channel partners both inside and outside the Urban Animal industry who enrich the lives of people and pets in their community.

The new AVC collaboration (300,000 registrations) is a great example of the new priorities. Other programs like the vaccination/ID clinics set up by Dr. Jeff Rabinovitz to collaborate with retailers in 14 Ontario communities added 1,300 registrations to HomeSafe ™ and showed what can be done when everyone works for a common goal. Jeff has already started plans for the 2016 campaign and we will support this initiative.

IS: Thank you for taking the time to help InfoStream readers. Can readers contact you if they have questions or if they have program ideas?

LRE: Absolutely! I have learned a lot from such calls and I enjoy interaction with those who work on the frontlines where the ‘rubber hits the road’. They can call me at 1.866.PET.LYNX (738.5969). Leaving a message sends me an email with their contact information.

INTERVIEW: Larry Evans talks about HomeSafe™ and AnimalTRACS™

PetLynx Corporation has been growing by leaps and bounds, fueled largely by a ‘viral’ response from the pet owning public. Meanwhile, the industry still has confusion about what makes PetLynx offerings different from microchip databases and other registries. Recently we caught up with Larry Evans the Managing Director of PetLynx Corporation, at Thunder Ridge near Crossfield, Alberta, to ask a few clarifying questions.

InfoStream (IS): Can you help us understand the role of the HomeSafe™ system and the AnimalTRACS™ portal in the PetLynx Information Utility?

Larry R. Evans (LRE): Sure.

HomeSafe™ is the brand associated with Canada’s only automated national online registry and lifetime Return to Owner (RTO) subscription for pets. PetLynx pioneered customer owned and managed online animal records back in 2006 to ensure pet owners and communities would have lowest cost information services. Pet owners can use any online device to access and maintain current information about their pet without charge during a lifetime of human/animal experiences.

AnimalTRACS™ is a portal that allows ‘ethical’ service providers in each community to assist clients, to identify pets and to support automated recovery services.

IS: What makes HomeSafe™ different from other registries and return to owner services?

LRE: There are a number of unique elements built into the HomeSafe™ system that differentiate this system from competitive offerings:

• HomeSafe™ has the reputation of being the ‘best/only fully automated 24/7 Return to Owner community service in the world’.
• PetLynx pioneered customer owned and managed online animal records which produces the lowest cost and greatest efficacy for pet owners and community service providers ($29/lifetime for pet owners, $120/yr for non-sheltering organizations, $1,000/yr for sheltering organizations).
• Unlike most registries, the HomeSafe™ Return to Owner (RTO) system does not require pre-registration to be effective and provides free access for seven days to ensure pets get home before the legislated ‘hold’ period ends and they become the property of a pound or agency.
• HomeSafe™ is more effective than other services because it engages all pet owners and pet lovers in a community using one central online technology to provide a direct and timely reunion.
• In one western community where more than 82,000 registered HomeSafe™ users live, anecdotal evidence has shown cats being returned to their owners in as little as 4.5 hours from the time a lost report was published.
• HomeSafe™ recovers pets using any form of pet identification, collar tag or physical description using the proprietary DataSketch™ and Automatch™ technologies developed by PetLynx.
• HomeSafe™ automatically searches found reports and admissions to all registered service providers in a community so pet owners are notified when their pet turns up at a neighbour's or a registered hospital, clinic, shelter or pound.
• In addition to the RTO service, HomeSafe™ animal records provide a secure way for pet owners to store and access their animal information, health records, pictures and service providers.
• PetLynx was an early adopter of ’cloud’ technology (2006) that untethered PetLynx applications from the desktop environment so animal information could be accessed from any smart device.
• Once they have a lifetime HomeSafe ™ subscription, owners can change their locations as they travel on holidays and update their animal information without additional cost.

IS: How many pets, pet owners, and communities use this system in Canada?

LRE: Pet owners across Canada have made PetLynx the largest automated online registry of pets in Canada. The system activity is published in InfoStream at the end of each month but here are a few metrics to give your readers some perspective:

• There are 475 communities in Canada with a population base greater than 7,500. PetLynx provides automated Return to Owner services in 340 Canadian communities.
• At May 31, 2015, PetLynx supported 1,011,439 active animal records and just over 906,316 pet owners across Canada. Recently PetLynx announced a collaboration with AVC (Associate Veterinary Clinics), Canada’s largest veterinary health group to add 300,000 of their clients to the registry.
• The average PetLynx pet owner is very active and with a relationship that extends 5.6 years (2010 metric). In the 12 months ended May 31, 2015, more than 40% (428,726) of the registered pet owners logged in to update or access their PetLynx animal record.
• A unique feature of the PetLynx registry is that it allows unregistered pet owners and the general public to use the Return to Owner system without charge for seven days. In the 12 months ended 31 May, 2015, 14,122,776 public visits were supported by the PetLynx system.
• Since the system went into commercial use in May of 2006, it has supported 320,092 recovery episodes.

IS: Who may subscribe to the AnimalTRACS™ portal and access the HomeSafe™ registry in each community?

LRE: In the early days of PetLynx, an Authorized Service Center only included service providers like veterinarians or Humane and Rescue agencies. Over time pet owners showed a preference for other service providers they already trusted in an existing relationship. Today the idea of an ‘ethical’ service provider often includes kennels, day care services, walkers, pooper scoopers and other service providers who subscribe to professional standards or are members of a recognized association. The name has also changed from Authorized Service Center to HomeSafe Guardian™.

Thank you for reading the first part of InfoStream's interview with Larry Evans. On July 2nd InfoStream will reconnect with Larry Evans and tease out the business aspects of AnimalTRACS™ and HomeSafe™.

Tough Choices for 2013 Communications Summit Award

Five finalists vie for the Urban Animal Industry's highest award in the Communications category:

1. American SPCA - ASPCA (Valerie Sheppard) for creating a robust webinar based education program that is accessed by the Urban Animal Industry around the globe.
2. American Pet Products Assocation - APPA (Brooke Gersich) for designing the PALS media blitz to illuminate the joy and benefit of pet ownership and to drive increased adoption through multiple pets.
3. Associate Veterinary Clinics - AVC (Dr. Jayne Takahashi) for recognizing the need and for establishing programs that enhance the pet owner experience at AVC hospitals and clinics across Canada.
4. Bountiful Films - CBC (Helen Slinger) for having the vision and commitment to film the canine experience in urban municipalities across North America resulting in the CBC Documentary 'Dog Dazed', broadcast March 2013.
5. Planet Paws Pet Essentials - "In the Dish" (Rodney Habib) for developing the largest online program to illuminate the pet experience in Atlantic Canada.

The 2013 Summit for Communications recognizes the vision, production and successful delivery of content that promotes a better environment for urban animals locally, nationally or globally.

The 2013 Summit for Communications will be presented during the Awards Gala on Friday, 18 October 2013. This event is open to the public.

VOTE NOW!