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Veterinary practice ownership calls for different decisions at different stages: choosing where and what to build, running a sustainable team and hospital, and preparing for a future transition. In an AAHA article published June 12, 2026, Parva Bezrutczyk, DVM, AAHA President for 2025–2026, offers guidance around one central question: “Why should a client choose you?” Her recommendations are practical advice, not universal legal, tax, or market rules.
Starting or buying a veterinary practice
Before choosing a site or signing a purchase agreement, define what the hospital will offer and who it is meant to serve. Bezrutczyk’s guidance begins with access: clients need to be able and willing to reach the practice. A visible, accessible location can support that goal, but the location should fit the intended community and service model.
Make the practice’s difference clear
Decide what should make clients choose this hospital. Possible points of distinction include the client experience, fear-free handling, advanced medicine, or a community-focused approach. The choice should guide decisions about the facility, services, staffing, and how the practice communicates with clients.
Consider the real estate separately
Bezrutczyk suggests considering property ownership as a way to build equity and diversify assets. Her recommendation is to hold the property in a separate LLC and have the practice pay fair-market rent to that entity. This is an author-specific suggestion, not a universal legal or tax prescription; ownership structure, financing, and lease terms warrant advice from qualified professionals familiar with the owner’s circumstances.
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Operating and growing the hospital
Growth depends on more than adding appointments or services. Bezrutczyk emphasizes investing in the people who deliver care and maintaining clear standards for how the team works together.
Build the team deliberately
- Hire slowly and pay well.
- Provide the tools and training employees need to do their jobs.
- Set clear expectations, then delegate with trust.
- Create a signed social contract describing how team members treat one another and external stakeholders.
A written agreement can make workplace expectations explicit rather than leaving culture to assumption. It should reflect the team’s actual commitments and be used as a basis for accountability.
Protect care standards and workplace culture
Bezrutczyk recommends intentionally nurturing culture while holding high standards of care. These aims are connected: the team needs a workable environment and consistent expectations to support the medicine and client experience the practice promises. She also advises owners to make time to work on the business, not only in it, and to seek peer accountability through a cohort or study group, such as Veterinary Management Groups.
Use a small dashboard to notice change
A nimble dashboard can help an owner spot shifts in financial performance, client relationships, and workforce stability. The AAHA article names these measures, but does not define them or provide benchmarks; choose consistent definitions and review trends in the context of the practice.
- Gross revenue
- Average patient visit charge
- Operating costs
- New-client counts
- Client attrition
- Staff attrition
- Client Net Promoter Score
- Team Net Promoter Score
The list is a starting point, not a claim that these measures alone explain performance. Add indicators that help answer the practice’s specific operational questions, and review the dashboard regularly enough to respond to meaningful changes.
Review valuation periodically
Bezrutczyk recommends a formal practice valuation every two years. That interval is her rule of thumb in the AAHA article, not an independently established standard for every practice or market. A valuation can give an owner a clearer reference point for planning, but its usefulness depends on the valuation method and the practice’s circumstances.
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Preparing for an eventual exit
When possible, Bezrutczyk advises beginning exit planning five years ahead. That lead time can be used to strengthen financial performance and operations before a transition, rather than treating a sale or succession as a last-minute event.
Assemble veterinary-aware advisors
Her suggested team includes a lawyer, CPA, and financial advisor who understand the veterinary industry; she also suggests considering a broker. These professionals can help address distinct parts of a transition, from legal structure and accounting to financial planning and the sale process.
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Interpret the sale-multiple example cautiously
The AAHA article gives an example that a sale at an “8–10” multiple could make each dollar saved or earned worth “8–10 dollars at sale.” It does not explain the valuation basis or establish that multiple as typical. Treat it as Bezrutczyk’s illustrative example, not a forecast, guaranteed return, or general market benchmark.
Where accreditation and peer support fit
Bezrutczyk describes AAHA accreditation as a framework for clinical excellence, leadership accountability, and operational consistency. She also recommends peer support, including cohorts or study groups such as Veterinary Management Groups. These are proposed resources for owners; the AAHA article does not provide an independent outcome comparison showing what results either produces.
The ownership journey is a sequence of decisions
Bezrutczyk’s advice changes with the owner’s stage: establish an accessible site and a clear reason for clients to choose the hospital; invest in the team, care standards, and operational visibility while running it; then prepare early and build a knowledgeable advisory team for a transition. As she puts it, “Although the stages of practice ownership can be challenging, succeeding in your dream is deeply rewarding.”
Source: AAHA, “View from the Board: The practice ownership journey,” June 12, 2026.
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