Banfield Pet Hospital facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Veterinary Services |
| Founded | 1955 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, Washington, U.S. 45°36′59″N 122°29′09″W / 45.616306°N 122.485809°W |
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Key people
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Mony Iyer, President Daniel Aja Sr. Vice President and Chief Medical Officer |
| Products | Veterinary care |
| Revenue | US$774.4 million |
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Number of employees
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14,000 (2014) |
| Parent | Mars Inc. |
Banfield Pet Hospital is a company that runs animal hospitals, also known as veterinary clinics. It started in 1955 and is based in Vancouver, Washington, in the United States. Banfield is part of the Mars Inc. family of companies, which also makes popular snacks and pet food.
You can find Banfield clinics in the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Many of their more than 1,000 clinics are located inside PetSmart stores. Banfield is actually the biggest privately owned group of animal hospitals in the U.S. In 2014, Banfield moved its main office to Vancouver, Washington, from Portland, Oregon.
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How Banfield Started
Banfield Pet Hospital was founded in 1955 by Warren J. Wegert. It began in Portland, Oregon. The name "Banfield" came from a nearby road called the Banfield Freeway.
In 1987, a person named Scott Campbell bought the single Banfield animal hospital. At that time, it was making about $2 million each year. He created a new company called Medical Management International, Inc. (MMI) to own the clinic.
Growing with PetSmart
In 1994, Banfield teamed up with the big pet store chain, PetSmart. They started opening animal clinics inside PetSmart stores. These clinics were first called VetSmart.
By 1996, Banfield had grown a lot. It had more than 150 locations in 18 different states. They were helping over 600,000 pets every year and had 1,100 employees. PetSmart received money from these clinics and owned a part of Banfield's parent company, MMI. In 2000, Banfield bought PetSmart's other animal clinics.
Expanding Services and Locations
By 2001, Banfield had more than 250 clinics. That year, MMI started a company to sell health insurance for pets. It was first called BluePaw, but the name was changed to TruePaws later that year.
In 2004, Banfield bought land in Portland for a new main office. They also opened their first international clinic in England. By then, they had 360 clinics in total.
Becoming the Largest Veterinary Practice
In October 2004, Banfield started building its new $25 million headquarters. At this time, Banfield had become the largest privately owned group of animal hospitals in the United States. They had over 4,000 employees worldwide, including 900 veterinarians.
In 2004, Banfield opened 80 more clinics. They also helped fund teaching hospitals for veterinary medicine programs. These were at Western University of Health Sciences in California and the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City.
By 2005, Banfield was helping 3.5 million animals each year at 450 clinics around the world. That year, they created the Banfield Charitable Trust. This trust helps pet owners who cannot afford veterinary care.
Changes in Ownership
In early 2007, PetSmart sold some of its shares in MMI, Banfield's parent company. Later that year, in September 2007, Scott Campbell, who had been the CEO for a long time, sold his shares to Mars Inc.. He then retired as CEO, and John Payne took over. Campbell remained the chairman of the company. PetSmart sold the rest of its shares in MMI in 2015.
In 2008, Banfield had 725 locations across the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. A new veterinary center, the Banfield Veterinary Clinical Center, opened at Western University of Health Sciences in August 2008.
Mars Inc., a company famous for candy bars like Snickers and pet food like Pedigree, bought Banfield Pet Hospital in 2007. Mars Inc. continued to grow its pet care business. In 2015, they bought Blue Pearl Hospital. Then, in 2017, Mars Inc. bought VCA Animal Hospitals for $9.1 billion.
How Banfield Works Today
Banfield clinics located inside PetSmart stores usually have about four veterinarians. These clinics are typically around 1,800 square feet in size. Banfield operates more than 1,000 clinics inside PetSmart stores across the country.
Banfield provides medical care for pets. They also offer special discounted care packages called Optimum Wellness Plans. These plans help pet owners manage their pet's health care costs. The company's main office in Vancouver, Washington, even has a dog park that is open to the public.
