Our History
We've come a long way since Dr Rob Jones opened the doors of our first surgery in 2011! This is our story of how we've grown to become the UK's largest, independent, family-owned veterinary group.
2011
The Pet Vet Doncaster opens
Our very first surgery and the beginnings of The Pet Vet! Our Doncaster surgery was opened by Dr Rob Jones, who graduated in veterinary science from Bristol University in 1987. Rob established the business with a co-founding colleague. Today, the business sits under Rob's sole ownership and he remains steadfast in his resolve for us to remain a family-owned business.
2012
Bigger and better
We extended The Pet Vet Doncaster surgery to more than double the size due to increasing local demand!
2013
The Pet Vet Rotherham opens
Our modern, purpose-built £1m+ premises opened to bring the very best veterinary care to the Rotherham community.
2016
The Pet Vet Barnsley opens
And then there were three! A £1m surgery using the same design as our Doncaster & Rotherham practices to deliver veterinary excellence to the furry, feathered & scaled residents of Barnsley.
April 2021
New senior hires
Dr Mel Fuller joined the team, appointed as Managing Director. Mel took on the remit of establishing a leadership team to develop and implement an ambitious programme of development, improvement and growth for The Pet Vet. Today, Mel is CEO.
September 2021
Investment in technology
Our state-of-the-art 128-slice CT scanner was installed at The Pet Vet Rotherham, enabling us to provide a high quality, efficient diagnostic imaging service and better healthcare to the pets in our region.
October 2021
The Pet Vet Lincoln opens
Fact: The Pet Vet Lincoln was the first independent veterinary practice in the UK to be located within a prime retail park! Our 5,500 sq ft surgery includes 7 consultation rooms, 3 operating theatres, a dental theatre and an imaging suite comprisising of x-ray, ultrasound and dental x-ray. Everything needed to give the very best care to the pets of Lincoln.
February 2022
Winner of Best national Small Business Award
We were delighted to have won at the 2025 Business Awards UK. The Best National Small Business Award is an accolade for the small business that has achieved national success, and recognises the company’s growth, innovation, and influence across the United Kingdom.
May 2022
Extension completed at The Pet Vet Rotherham
Due to increasing local demands and to support the growth of the business, we expanded The Pet Vet Rotherham. Our surgery now features:
- 9 consultation rooms
- 4 operating theatres
- 1 dental theatre
- An imaging suite & extended cat and dog wards
- A new suite of offices on the upper floor to house the central support team, including a customer service centre to handle incoming calls and emails for the whole group.
June 2022
Acquisition of The Vet
Earlier in the year, we secured £3.1m from alternative lender ThinCats to fund an ambitious growth plan. This enabled us to acquire The Vet when it came up for sale in April 2022 - officially making us the largest, independent veterinary practice with a national presence!
Find out more about this major acquisition here.
June 2024
Re-brand commenced
The beginning of our nationwide re-brand of The Vet surgeries, adopting The Pet Vet branding. We started with our Nottingham surgery and over the following months, worked through the transition for all The Vet surgeries.
July 2024
Implementing deskless receptions
To give a more personalised customer experience, we adopted deskless receptions across all our surgeries. Customers are now greeted on arrival, offered refreshments and receive a personalised check-in and check-out process from our customer experience colleagues to deliver a seamless customer experience. Our phones were removed from reception as part of this change, creating a calm environment for pets awaiting their appointments.
February 2025
Re-brand project completed
February marked the end of an extensive re-brand project, bringing all surgeries in The Pet Vet’s estate in line with The Pet Vet brand.
April 2025
Introducing CarefreeCredit 0% payments
We introduced CarefreeCredit payment plans to give our customers the option of a 0% finance agreement to help with paying larger veterinary bills.
August 2025
Shortlisted in the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards
We’ve been shortlisted for the Family Business of the Year 2025 award! As an independent, family owned business, it's wonderful to receive this recognition. Here’s CEO Mel & Head of Commercial Developments & Estate Terry attending a stakeholder networking event as part of this year’s awards.
