COMMON MISLEADING STATEMENTS BY CORPORATE-OWNED VETERINARY PRACTICES
Research conducted by CARE for Pets™ reveals many corporate-owned veterinary practices display misleading statements on their individual practice websites which is most likely to create a FALSE IMPRESSION to pet owners that the practice is independently owned and locally operated. A misleading statement or claim is one which intentionally omits information from a statement and thereby causing a portion of such statement to be misleading, or intentionally concealing a material fact, and thereby creating a false impression by such statement.
THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL WAS PURCHASED BY THE VETERINARIAN:
A common misleading statement (intentionally concealing a material fact) displayed on corporate-owned veterinary practice websites communicates that the animal hospital was previously purchased by a veterinarian that is currently working at the practice (an employee of the veterinary consolidator) but failed to disclose that the animal hospital was recently acquired by a corporate entity — the selling veterinarian is often required to stay at the practice for 1-4 years after the sale. These misleading statements are typically displayed on the “about us” page of the individual practice website.
ACCORDING TO TODD NEMET, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF CARE FOR PETS™
“Misleading statements displayed on corporate-owned veterinary practice websites which intentionally conceal material fact(s) about the true ownership of the individual practice must be enforced by both the Veterinary State Boards and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in order to uphold the dignity of the veterinary profession.”
RELATED
- Ethics in Veterinary Medicine: Marketing & Advertising
https://www.pets.care/ethics-in-veterinary-medicine/- Advertising by veterinarians is ethical when there are no false, deceptive, or misleading statements or claims. A false, deceptive, or misleading statement or claim is one which communicates false information or is intended, through a material omission, to leave a false impression.
- Exclusive Interview with the President of the Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association (IVPA)
https://www.pets.care/interview-with-ivpa-president-bonnie-bragdon/- “National practices purposely avoid ownership identification because they feel it is advantageous – yes, I’ve heard corporate employees say they knowingly and purposefully leave off ownership information.”
- CASE STUDY: Is Your ‘Local’ Animal Hospital Corporate-Owned?
https://www.pets.care/is-your-local-animal-hospital-corporate-owned/- First of its kind study conducted by CARE for Pets™ quantifies the lack of ownership transparency of corporate-owned veterinary practices.