Pet owners at risk of being ripped off by private equity firms as vet ownership rules change

Pet owners face potential exploitation by private equity firms following changes to CMA ownership disclosure rules. The CMA previously investigated the monopolisation of vet practices, discovering that limited competition and opaque ownership structures contributed to inflated pricing. Consequently, customers often remain unaware that local clinics are owned by multinational corporations. Data reveals that the cost of small animal veterinary services in England surged by 63% between 2016 and 2023, leading critics to label these regulatory shifts as bad news.