Despite many pet owners seeing their pets as family members, the number of veterinarian patient visits has been flat nationally for the past couple years. Prices for veterinary services have been growing significantly year over year leading to delays in pet owners seeking medical care for their pets. One study shows that the average time between veterinary visits for typical pet owners is about 17 months which is concerning. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends that all dogs and cats get an annual check-up. Because dogs and cats age at a much faster rate than humans, waiting more than 1 year between visits can lead to the late diagnosis of serious medical conditions.

Over 400 pet parents across the nation were surveyed to seek insights on why people are delaying medical care for their pets. Seventy percent of pet owners have a delayed a visit to the veterinarian because of three key reasons: High cost, inconvenient hours of operation, and distance to veterinarian. Fifty-seven (57) percent delayed their visit because of the high expense as nearly 60% of examinations cost between $50 and $100 based on a national sample. $28B was spent on veterinary care in the US in 2013 and the average annual spend per client on dog wellness visits (non-surgical) was $227 according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Thirty (30) percent delayed a vet visit due to the inconvenient hours of operation as pet owners are often busy and prefer to see the veterinarian after work hours and on weekends. In addition, the majority of pet owners have to wait anywhere from 3 days to more than 4 weeks for a veterinarian appointment, not to mention the wait time in the waiting room. Lastly, 1 out of 3 pet owners travel 20 minutes or more to get to their veterinarian.

Based on all of these findings and real-life experience, it is obvious that there is a significant market need for making pet health care much more convenient, affordable and efficient.