Independent group unveils 64-clinic growth plan

An independent veterinary group has claimed it plans to open more than 60 new locations by the end of 2028.

Virtue Vets, which currently operates four practices, said it plans to expand throughout London and surrounding commuter towns under the ethos “that modern, advanced, reasonably priced vet care should be accessible within 15 minutes” of where pet owners live.

The start-up launched with a clinic in Marylebone in January 2025 before adding further practices in Notting Hill, Chelsea and South Kensington.

Expansion

It confirmed two 4,000sq ft hospitals in Blackheath Village and Bloomsbury offering 24-hour emergency care and 12 further clinics, in locations ranging from Hampstead and Greenwich to Shoreditch and Ascot, are opening by the end of this year.

Virtue Vets said it also plans to open an additional 50 practices by December 2028.

The group said each of its locations is equipped with a hospital-grade laboratory, x-ray, cardiology-capable ultrasound, advanced anaesthesia machines and respiratory ventilators.

Founder Ninad Shinde said he launched the group after struggling to find the right care for his Jack Russell, Fynn, which has had several lifelong health challenges.

‘Struck a chord’

He said: “What started as a single clinic for Fynn has struck a chord with pet parents who also want excellence in vet care. Our clinics exist for one reason: to help pet parents give their pets the good life they deserve.”

It is said the plans will create “a significant number of jobs” for clinicians.

Co-founder and clinical director Jenny Blackburn added: “We’re built around preventive care and lifelong relationships with pets and their parents.

“Top clinicians join us because they want to practise differently, with greater freedom and better resources to provide the best outcomes for their patients.”