Practice Profile: Harrogate Vets for Pets

In 2008, Leigh-Anne Brown was offered the opportunity to buy into a partnership with what was then known as Vets4Pets.

But, despite having enjoyed a successful career to that point working in a busy multi-site practice in Bradford, she didn’t have the savings for the relatively modest stake required to contribute to the business as a partner loan.

And with banks reluctant to lend during the global financial crisis, Leigh-Anne had to be “a little creative” when it came to finding the finance needed.

So, when she discovered the AA was offering relatively competitive loans to its members, she signed up for 12 months’ cover, took out the loan and used that money to buy into the partnership. While the new car would have to wait for a few more years, sitting with Leigh-Anne, as she recalls her life in practice, it was money well spent.

She said: “I had always wanted to be an owner; I remember at vet school in Glasgow, I was one of the very few people who put their hands up in the first year when asked if we wanted our own practice one day.

“I had a few opportunities before, but nothing had ever felt right, so when Vets4Pets – as they were then known – approached me with this place, I was really interested.

“But this was around the time of the global financial crisis and lending was tight, so I ended up taking a personal unsecured loan from the AA and used that money to fund my partner contribution stake in the practice.

“At the time, I didn’t have much in terms of assets, but I had a lot of determination and I was relatively young, with the energy to put into making the practice a success.”

Learning leadership

However, the start to her journey wasn’t easy; the first few years were a tough introduction to leadership as Leigh-Anne learned the ropes.

By her own admission, the first two years running the site in Harrogate were “pretty challenging”, as she and her team worked to breathe life into the practice while she managed the transition from employee to employer. Dealing with this dynamic was not a big issue at the start when the team consisted of Leigh-Anne, one vet nurse and one receptionist, but the subsequent growth of the business brought the issue into sharper focus.

Leigh-Anne found herself on a steep learning curve for the first three years, but with the support provided by the support office through the partnership model, she developed the leadership skills and financial acumen she needed to make the venture a success.

She said: “Managing a team was not something I had trained for, and it became a bit overwhelming at times. As the practice grew, I brought on a second vet, recruited new nurses and slowly began building a strong team, and I did a lot of coaching with support from the Vets4Pets team.

“I wanted to create a work environment where people felt valued and supported, and I supported them all the way in making that happen. The first two years were challenging at times looking back, as the hours were long – especially at the very start, as you would expect.

“But the model has evolved over the years, and no one would now be encouraged to work the way I chose to then, as the way we think about how work fits into people’s lives has changed.”

She added: “There were challenges, but I soon learned that leadership is not about doing everything yourself; it’s about building the right team and trusting them to support the vision.”

Growing the team

Having managed with a skeletal team for the first year, the practice grew rapidly and now employs three other vets, five registered vet nurses, one student nurse, three client care advisors and a “fantastic” practice manager.

In terms of layout, the building has remained much the same since Leigh-Anne first took over, with one half of the roughly rectangular building housing a large reception space, which sits in front of three consult rooms.

The other half of the 2,000 sq ft building houses a large prep area, a well-equipped theatre, imaging suite, laboratory, dog and cat wards, and an isolation area.

A number of refits have been carried out over the years, with the practice now air-conditioned throughout, while the front-of-house area was recently refurbished as part of the big Vets for Pets rebrand last year.

Business is booming with the practice now turning over more than £1 million a year, but Leigh-Anne admits that there has been the odd bump or two on the way.

She said: “I have been a bit over-ambitious at times, as well. We lost our out of hours provider and I thought that was going to be a big barrier for people, so we decided to open till 10pm in 2013.

“That meant I had to recruit a lot of people to fill those hours, and I had to recruit them at a premium; the team doubled, but the client demand just wasn’t there.

“I had also bought into a second practice inside a Pets at Home with a business partner because this has been hugely successful for a lot of practice owners, but it was just too much for me at the time.”

She added: “I overreached, but I was easily able to sell my shares in the second practice to the other partner, so he could run his place and I could focus on mine.

“We also decided to gradually pull back on the opening hours, so we were only open two late nights a week.

“It has definitely been an adventure, but I wouldn’t change my decision to take the chance of partnering with Vets for Pets because at every step, I’ve had financial, practical, business and moral support from my business partners, and tremendous friendships with other Vets for Pets practice owners.”

Well prepared

Practice ownership, be it as a sole owner, traditional partnership or JVP, is not for everyone, but for Leigh-Anne, it’s a career path she had been well prepared for.

Working at a hospital practice with several satellite surgeries and a high volume of cases – including a lot of welfare work – gave her the perfect grounding to be a lead vet in charge of her own practice.

The diversity of cases and the opportunity to work alongside experienced vets and certificate holders provided Leigh-Anne with what she described as “incredible learning opportunities” and a broader view of veterinary medicine than she would have received in a smaller practice.

She said: “The caseload was demanding, so I developed my surgical skills rapidly. There was no shortage of patients requiring treatment, and I quickly learned to work efficiently under pressure, and that really stood me in good stead when I took over here.

“As sole vet for the first year, it was important that I felt comfortable dealing with pretty much anything that came through the door. And I still love that part of the job, just being a vet and supporting the team.

“We have mentored a lot of new graduates here over the past 15 years, and it means a massive amount to me that we are able to train up and support those young vets and nurses, so they can develop as clinicians – watching them flourish is probably the thing I enjoy most.

“The team I have now is set up in a way that means I can spend most of my time caring for patients and be a full part of the vet team. Other practice owners can tailor their role to suit them, whether it’s parenting or an MBA that takes priority.”

Career satisfaction

As a JVP of 16 years standing, Leigh-Anne’s business is now loan free, meaning she now only pays for the back-office services supplied by Vets for Pets. You do not need to be an accountant to work out that with a £1million turnover, running the practice has become increasingly lucrative.

Leigh-Anne’s income now compares more than favourably to that of an employed senior GP vet, while she has also built a saleable asset for when she wishes to retire.

But while she appreciates having that kind of financial security, the real pleasure still comes from doing the job itself and being part of a high-performing team.

Leigh-Anne said: “Now, as I look back, the greatest reward of owning a practice has been the growth of my team and the satisfaction of seeing them develop professionally.

“I’m incredibly proud of the nurses and vets who have worked with me – especially when they go on to achieve certification or move on to new opportunities.

“And, looking ahead, I’m excited about continuing to improve the quality of care we offer at the practice. I’m passionate about growing my team and providing the best possible environment for them to develop professionally.”

She added: “Ultimately, my goal is to develop the practice in such a way that when the time comes, I can transition ownership to the next generation of vets.

“The profession needs clinicians as stakeholders and this is a very accessible way of achieving that, and the beauty of the way the group works now is that the whole financial aspect is so much easier than it was back in 2008.

“For Harrogate Vets for Pets, my ambition is not about adding to the footprint, though this has worked extremely well for other practice owners – I have tried that kind of growth, and it didn’t suit me. It’s about finding the right balance between clinical excellence, good leadership, and maintaining a personal connection with clients.”

• This profile was in VBJ262, Pages 15-19 (January 2025).