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Rochester’s emergency veterinary hospital to close; Barnhart asks FTC to investigate
Rochester’s emergency veterinary hospital to close; Barnhart asks FTC to investigate
Listen to this articleMonroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart is asking the Federal Trade Commission to review national private equity firm Thrive Pet Healthcare after Friday’s announcement that the emergency veterinary hospital in Brighton will close in November.
The last day of operation for Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Services (VSES) on East Henrietta Road will be “no later than Nov. 27,” the pet care website says. The company says a shortage of veterinarians prompted the action.
VSES earlier this year announced overnight services were ending.
The closing will result in 132 layoffs, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the New York State Department of Labor.
Barnhart suggested corporate greed and the recent move to unionize by hospital staff prompted the move.
“VSES claims the clinic must close because of staffing issues,” Barnhart wrote in a letter dated today to FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “While the shortage of veterinarians nationwide is well-documented, so is the impact of private equity firms buying up practices. Private equity is notorious for squeezing every dime from companies over the short term, driving up consumer costs while limiting investment in staff and services.
“The crisis requires innovative solutions, and the kinds of investments private equity firms are unwilling to make. VSES staff recently unionized, something its parent company fought tooth and nail, making the timing of this announcement disturbing and suspicious. One way to bust a union is to conveniently close shop.”
The FTC last summer took action to protect consumers from anticompetitive practices of private equity firms in the veterinary field, and Barnhart said oversight is necessary again.
“A review of the situation in the Rochester market … appears warranted,” Barnhart wrote. “The loss of this clinic will cause pain for pets and their owners.”
Thrive, headquartered in Austin, Texas, owns 15 other veterinary care facilities in the Rochester metro area. VSES is the only location providing emergency services. The Thrive website classifies Pittsford Animal Hospital as a primary care and urgent care facility.
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