After launching in a tiny space in downtown Vancouver, the pet health care company has grown to 35 hospitals and has its sights on adding 15 more in the next few months. In July, the company moved into a corporate headquarters in downtown’s Vancouver Center where they also opened one of their clinics.
WellHaven, led by two alumni of Vancouver-based Banfield Pet Hospital and backed by a Californian investment firm, finds itself in the thick of a trend sweeping American veterinary medicine: consolidation of animal hospitals into larger organizations. Overworked veterinarians are joining larger organizations in part to reduce the stress of running a small business, WellHaven’s founders say, while pet owners receive improved, managed care for their beloved animals.
WellHaven’s founders — CEO John Bork and Chief Medical Officer Bob Lester — are well aware they’re not the only player in pet health consolidation, but the duo say their goal is to create a model for consolidating animal hospitals that can empower veterinarians and improve their working experiences.