Vets in the Local Area

There are many vet practices in the local area, a large selection of whom are listed below.

For our cats, we will ALWAYS recommend Darlington vet Clinic above any other. But why?

- Experienced, caring vets who listen to owners

- Work tirelessly to support local animal charities

- Clear, fair and very reasonable prices

- Independently owned by the lovely Rebecca (who has a flock of pedigree sheep - each & every single one of them has their own name!)

We travel to them almost every day from Yarm - they go the extra distance in what they do, so we go the extra miles to get to them! (All information correct as of April 2026)

Darlington Vet Clinic

The Emergency Vet (Justyna)

Location: Darlington and West Auckland

Ownership: Independent

Prices for Cats:

Female neuter: £120

Male neuter: £72

Booster Vaccinations: £40.50

First course of Vaccinations: £81.00

Microchipping: £20

Contact details: 01325 787370

The Emergency Vet (Justyna)

Location: Darlington and Teesside Ownership: Independent

Specialises in HOME VISITS

Prices for Home Visit Consultations:
Standard Hours: £70
Emergency Hours: £170
Also provides euthanasia services, for those who want to say their last goodbye to their pets in their own home.

Contact details: 07880 755569

https://emergencymobilevet.co.uk/

Ironstone Vet Clinic

The Emergency Vet (Justyna)

Ironstone Vet Clinic

Location: Middlesbrough
Ownership: Independent

Prices for Cats:

Female neuter: £120
Male neuter: £90
Booster Vaccinations: £48.00
First course of Vaccinations: £96.00
Microchipping: £18

Contact details: 01642 918997

Tees Vets

Jaqui Paterson Vet Surgery

Ironstone Vet Clinic

Location: Yarm
Ownership: Independent

Prices for Cats:
Female neuter: £114.47
Male neuter: £78.68
Booster Vaccinations: £44.66
First course of Vaccinations: £89.12
Microchipping: £17.39

Contact details: 01642 785408

Jaqui Paterson Vet Surgery

Location: Nunthorpe, Stockton, Preston Farm
Ownership: Independent

Prices for Cats:

Female neuter: £145
Male neuter: £99.60
Booster Vaccinations: £55
First course of Vaccinations: £82
Microchipping: Unknown

Contact details: 01642 604555

Kibbles

Jaqui Paterson Vet Surgery

Location: Hemlington

Ownership: Independent

Prices for Cats:

Female neuter: £154

Male neuter: £94

Booster Vaccinations: £54.00

First course of Vaccinations: £79.00

Microchipping: £29

Contact details: 01642 917587

Harrison Family Vets

Location: Stockton
Ownership: National Chain (9 branches)

Prices for Cats:
Female neuter: £110
Male neuter: £80
Booster Vaccinations: £54
First course of Vaccinations: £78
Microchipping: £22

Contact details: 01642 917771

Animal Trust Group

Harrison Family Vets

Location: Thornaby
Ownership: Large National Chain (16 branches) CIC group

Prices for Cats:

Female neuter: £186
Male neuter: £100
Booster Vaccinations: £53.99
First course of Vaccinations: £69.99
Microchipping: Unknown

Contact details: https://www.animaltrust.org.uk/my-animal-trust/register

Vet Ownership: An Overview

Why does ownership matter?

Until a change in the law in 1999, only qualified veterinary surgeons could own vet clinics. This meant most practices were small businesses run by partners who knew their patients and played an important role in the community.

By 2013, about 10% of vet practices were owned by six large corporations; by late 2024 that figure rose to 60%. Most pet owners don't realise this, as four out of six practices keep the name and branding of the previous independent business.

(Rupert Neate, The Guardian, 2024)

Read the Article

Does it really matter for my cat's wellbeing?

Put simply - YES.

Profits before pets has become the norm for many practices, even though the vets themselves don't want this. Pressure to hit targets, refer for tests that don't affect outcomes and to upsell services such as screening, profiles and petplans means that many vets are no longer making their own clinical decisions - they're contracted and pressured to make money instead of focusing on the best actions for the animals.

“Not being able to help animals, which is what we’ve been trained to do and what we love to do, is causing staff distress.”

Corporatisation has also meant increased workloads: Valley Vets staff report seeing a new animal every 15 to 20 minutes, for hours on end. Not only is this stressful for staff, but it means that the chance of making a mistake - accidental overdose, admitting the wrong animal, delivering incorrect news to an anxious pet owner – shoots up.

Read the full article

Who are the 'Big Six'?

These are the large vet companies (that own over 60% of the UK Market) and who catalysed the need for a scrutiny of the vet sector in 2023. The overall findings of the Competition and Markets Authority for the UK Government are available, but have had all of the financial information from their Financial Analysis redacted (for unspecified reasons).

However, you can find a short and simple overview of these profit-led companies using the button below.

The 'Big Six'

What about my pocket?

The steep rise in fees from Big Six profit-making has led to pet owners being forced to reject treatment on the basis of cost. At its starkest, vets are seeing more “economic euthanasia”: pet owners opting to put down an animal with a good chance of recovery because they can’t afford to treat them.

The Solution?

Put simply - Choose an INDEPENDENT clinic.

That might sound easy, but there's a lot of misleading statements out there. For instance:

"Our locally owned practice is taking new clients. Local people. Local pets.

This is a statement from Vets4Pets, who are leading a huge campaign to make their practices appear independent - but they're no more independent than 'owning' any other franchise (like a branch of Subway, for instance!)

Prices, support services (owned by the Pets at Home group) and a whole host of other essential aspects are completely controlled by the larger company (not the individual franchises) and are non-negotiable - leading to fundamental effects on the outcomes for both pets and owners.

Suzanna Hudson-Cooke (chair of the British Veterinary Union (BVU), part of Unite) states that “When the practice is owned by a veterinary professional, decision-making about the reinvestment of profit centres on clinical matters. When your company is owned by private equity, reinvestments are made on the basis of generating more profit.”

So please; don't be fooled.

Ask the following specific questions when choosing your vet practice:

"Are you COMPLETELY independent?"

"Are you part of ANY larger group or ownership, in ANY way whatsoever?"

Find an Independent Practice

Current Situation in the UK

In 2023, the UK government acknowledged that there was a pressing need to address the issue of Profits before Pets, tasking the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate the issue. You can read the reasons for this in the 2023 Veterinary Sector Concerns and the all the associated information in the March 2026 Final Outcomes

Fast-forward to today and some really positive changes ARE being made:

2026 Vet Sector Reforms - An Overview

Will this fix the problem? In our opinion, it's a very good start, but it's highly unlikely that the Big Six will just roll over to have their tummies tickled and say "Fair enough, the profits were great while it lasted."

Marketing is already become more misleading, structures are being reshuffled and rebranded to hide the involvement of larger companies, alongside name changes and company directors being replaced at an unprecedented pace.

Words such as "local", "family" and "independent" are being liberally scattered through marketing campaigns and rebranding exercises, almost as if they are being deliberately misused to deceive consumers. So, much like tummy tickles - be careful of obvious traps!

Please - research your vet clinic VERY CAREFULLY.

Corporate Ownership

Who are the 'Big Six'?

IVC Evidensia: The largest group, who also own Vets Now emergency clinics. Changed name from 'Independent' to 'Inspiring' March 2026

Number of Practices: over 1,000

Pre-Tax Profit: £69.3 million (Source: IVC Annual Report, 2022)

Pets at Home Group PLC: Operates hundreds of practices (including Vets4Pets) through a franchise model. Incorporates its vet clinics into its retail stores, maximising profitability.

Number of Practices: over 400 practices

Pre-Tax Profit: £122.5 million (Source: Pets at Home Annual Report, 2023)

CVS Group: Also own diagnostic labs and pet crematoriums.

Number of Practices: Approximately 500 practices

Pre-Tax Profit: £53.9million (Source: CVS Annual Report, 2023)

VetPartners: Set up by BC Partners, an investment management company focused on private equity, credit, and real estate

Number of Practices: Approximately 500 practices

Pre-Tax Profit: £13.9 million (Source: BC Partners Annual Report, 2023)

Medivet: Owned by CVC Private Equity Management Company, their partnership agreements always ensure that the company has more votes than the branch partner, ensuring that all partnerships are controlled by the company

Number of Practices: over 400 practices

Group Pre-Tax Profit: £ 1,222,282 million (Source: CVC Annual Report, 2025)

Linnaeus: A major corporate group owned by Mars Petfoods. Significant changes to Directorship as of February 2026.

Number of Practices: under 100 practices

Finances: Mars does not release specific accounts, but has grown over 69% to approximately $55B in annual net sales compared to its 2015 baseline (Source: Mars.Com press release, 2025)

The 'BIG SIX' have also been joined recently by two new players in what could be described as the 'Pets Make Profits' Sector:

TDR Capital: Owning Jollyes Community Vet Clinics since 2024, TDR Capital are a leading private investment firm with over €15 billion of assets under management

Number of Practices: currently under 100 practices

Group Pre-Tax Profit: £78.9 million (Source: Companies House, 2025)

Kin Vet Community Holdings : Owned by private equity investor Perwyn, which established the group in 2023 to acquire vet-led practices in the UK and operates under Wick Bidco Ltd.

Number of Practices: currently under 100 practices

Group Pre-Tax Profit: No significant data available

Pawsitive Cattitudes Rescue

Vets in the Local Area

Darlington Vet Clinic

The Emergency Vet (Justyna)

The Emergency Vet (Justyna)

The Emergency Vet (Justyna)

The Emergency Vet (Justyna)

The Emergency Vet (Justyna)

Ironstone Vet Clinic

The Emergency Vet (Justyna)

Ironstone Vet Clinic

Tees Vets

Jaqui Paterson Vet Surgery

Ironstone Vet Clinic

Jaqui Paterson Vet Surgery

Jaqui Paterson Vet Surgery

Jaqui Paterson Vet Surgery

Kibbles

Jaqui Paterson Vet Surgery

Jaqui Paterson Vet Surgery

Harrison Family Vets

Harrison Family Vets

Harrison Family Vets

Animal Trust Group

Harrison Family Vets

Harrison Family Vets

Vet Ownership: An Overview

Why does ownership matter?

Does it really matter for my cat's wellbeing?

Who are the 'Big Six'?

What about my pocket?

The Solution?

Current Situation in the UK

Corporate Ownership

Who are the 'Big Six'?

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