Who Owns Your Vet?

Vets Now

Headquarters: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, UK

private equity backed

Vets Now is a brand operated by IVC Evidensia .

62
In our directory
~60
Group-reported practices
1
Countries

The group-reported figure is the group's own count of its UK practices. Our directory lists RCVS-registered premises, counting main and branch surgeries separately, so the two figures can differ.

Ownership structure

Ultimate owners

  • EQT (largest shareholder)

    Private equity · Sweden

    eqtgroup.com as of

  • Silver Lake (minority)

    Private equity · USA

    silverlake.com as of

  • Nestlé (minority)

    Corporation · Switzerland

    eqtgroup.com as of

Parent group

  • IVC Evidensia

    Vet group · UK

    Holds more than three quarters of the shares, directly or through its companies

    Companies House register as of

Vets Now 62 practices in our register

Share of practices by region

Percentage of all practices in each region owned by Vets Now ; present in 4 further regions.

Private equity firms typically aim to generate returns within 5-7 years, which may influence business decisions including pricing and cost management.

Reputation & regulatory matters

cma investigation

As IVC Evidensia's out-of-hours arm, Vets Now is directly relevant to the CMA's findings on emergency/out-of-hours care. The final report (24 March 2026) names difficulty switching OOH providers as a consumer harm.

March 2026

View source
positive initiatives

The UK's largest dedicated out-of-hours emergency network, with around 60 clinics plus two 24/7 pet emergency hospitals (Glasgow and Manchester) providing overnight and weekend critical care.

View source

Who owns Vets Now?

Vets Now is owned by IVC Evidensia, the UK’s largest veterinary group. IVC Evidensia is itself owned by investors: the private equity firm EQT is the largest shareholder, and Silver Lake and Nestlé hold minority stakes.

What the records show:

  • Companies House: on 8 January 2019 Inspiring Vet Care Ltd (IVC Evidensia’s UK company, then called Independent Vetcare) took more than 75% of the shares in Vets Now Limited (register).
  • IVC Evidensia: announced the deal on 10 January 2019 (IVC Evidensia).

About Vets Now

Founded in 2001 (Companies House), Vets Now is the country’s largest dedicated out-of-hours (OOH) emergency provider, distinct from a first-opinion chain. It runs around 60 out-of-hours clinics plus two 24/7 pet emergency hospitals in Glasgow and Manchester, and provides overnight and weekend cover for many first-opinion practices across the UK.

Why ownership matters here

  • Vets Now mostly provides emergency and critical care when your day-time vet is closed, so the practice you use in a crisis may be corporate-owned even if your regular vet is independent.
  • The CMA’s investigation specifically scrutinised out-of-hours provision, naming the difficulty first-opinion practices face switching OOH providers as a consumer concern in its March 2026 final report.
  • As part of IVC Evidensia, Vets Now sits within a private-equity-backed group that expects a financial return, a factor to weigh when comparing emergency options.

What pet owners should know

  • In an emergency, you may have little choice over which OOH provider your vet uses, so ask your day-time practice who covers their out-of-hours care.
  • Costs for emergency and overnight care are typically higher than routine visits, regardless of provider.

Sources

Clinic and hospital counts are approximate and based on the company’s own current figures.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Vets Now?

Vets Now is a veterinary brand operated by IVC Evidensia. Practices trading under the Vets Now name are ultimately owned by IVC Evidensia.

How many vet practices does Vets Now have in the UK?

Vets Now has around 60 veterinary practices in the UK, by the group's own count. Our directory lists 62 RCVS-registered premises linked to Vets Now, counting main and branch surgeries separately, so the two figures can differ.