On: Vets fret as private equity snaps up clinics, pet ...

[astrodust]

"It cannot cost that much to start a vet clinic" implies vets are cheap.

There is not an infinite supply of vets, especially those free from debt and who can borrow enough to start a practice.

[mattmaroon → astrodust]

Correct, that’s the problem, which is what I said. Not PE firms, lack of veterinarians.

[ceejayoz → mattmaroon]

If the PE firms buy up the practices and put all the vets in the area under a non-compete (not a hypothetical; see my other comments in this thread, it happened here in Rochester NY and is widespread practice), there aren't any vets to open a competitor.

[SoftTalker → ceejayoz]

Veterinarians are not a dime a dozen. You can't go to a boot camp and emerge in 6 months with a license to practice. They should all simply refuse to sign non-competes (not that they should be legal in the first place).

[mattmaroon → ceejayoz]

Non-competes aren’t that simple, and in that very article it says they were forced to abandon it.

There aren’t any vets because there aren’t enough vet schools.

[astrodust → mattmaroon]

Don't worry, hedge funds will snap up those as soon as they realize the potential they've created.

[mattmaroon → astrodust]

Actually they're largely for-profit already. A good friend of mine does admissions for one, which is why I have a little insight into the industry.

I wouldn't be surprised if PE firms open more vet schools at all.