Independent veterinary clinics are staying independent. Here’s what 700 of them told us.

Veterinary medicine looks different today than it did a decade ago. Corporate groups have grown their presence across most major markets, costs have risen faster than revenue in many countries, and the workforce challenge has quietly shifted from finding people to keeping them well. Against that backdrop, you might expect independent clinic owners to be questioning whether independence is still viable.

They're not.

In our member survey, based on input from 700 clinics across nine countries, 84% of respondents said they plan to remain independent. Seventy percent are oriented toward stability or growth. Only 4% plan to sell. Independence, for the overwhelming majority, isn't a fallback position. It's a deliberate choice, backed by action.

Over eighty percent of clinics made at least one significant change in the past year. The two most common responses, investing in new equipment and raising prices, weren't coincidental. Together they point to a clear competitive strategy: deepen the clinical offering, then reprice to reflect the value delivered. The kind of reputation built on diagnostic depth, specialist capability, and genuine continuity of care is personal, local, and hard to replicate at scale. That's the ground independent clinics are choosing to stand on.

The challenges are real and shouldn't be minimised. Cost pressure is structural across most markets, with no insurer buffer or government reimbursement to absorb the impact when costs rise. Staff wellbeing has overtaken recruitment as the primary workforce concern for the first time. And client loyalty, cited by 51% as their top trend concern, can no longer be taken for granted in a market where pet owners are more cost-conscious and more exposed to alternatives than ever before.

But what the data ultimately shows is a sector that is adapting with conviction, not retreating under pressure.

At VetFamily, this survey shapes everything from how we partner with suppliers to how we build our training and support programmes. Understanding what independent clinics are actually experiencing, not what we assume, is the foundation of being genuinely useful to them. We're grateful to every clinic that took part.

If you want to discuss all of the insights from the report Independent Veterinary Clinics: Navigating Pressure, Protecting Independence, and Building for the Future — reach out to your local VetFamily contact.