Independent Manchester practice GoVets mapped 103 vet practices across the region and found that several trade under long-established local names despite being owned by national consolidators
MANCHESTER, UK, September 16th, 2026 – Greater Manchester’s veterinary sector is now majority corporate-owned, according to a new independent census.
GoVets, a family-run vet practice in Miles Platting, mapped all 103 small-animal vet practices across the region’s 10 boroughs and traced who owns each one. It found that 55.3% (57 practices) are owned by one of six national consolidator groups, while 40.8% (42 practices) remain independently owned.
The research was prompted by the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s ongoing veterinary services market investigation, which has raised concerns that pet owners often cannot tell who owns their local vet from the name above the door.
That concern is borne out in the data. The census also found significant variation by borough. Independent ownership ranges from 62.5% in Trafford down to just 10% in Tameside, with Oldham (14.3% independent) also showing heavy corporate concentration.
The largest identified owners in the region are the Pets at Home/CVS joint venture (Vets4Pets, 16 practices), IVC Evidensia (10), CVS Group (10), Medivet (9), and VetPartners (3).
Dr Mustafa Arif Ucar, a veterinary surgeon at GoVets, said: “Pet owners deserve complete transparency about who is caring for their animals. Many would be surprised to learn that a familiar local practice name is often backed by a national corporate group.
“We ran this census to give local families clear, honest insight so they can make informed choices for their pets.”
GoVets itself was independently verified as independently owned in the same research pass. GoVets is based at Unit 1, Varley Industrial Estate, James Street, Manchester, M40 8EL, around ten minutes from Manchester city centre.
The practice offers dental care, vaccinations, microchipping, neutering, orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery, and exotic pet care, and is rated 4.9/5 by clients. GoVets offers free dental consultations and free registration for new clients, and is currently accepting new patients.
The full dataset, methodology, and a searchable directory of all 103 practices are published at https://www.govets.co.uk/manchester-vet-ownership-census/, including a downloadable CSV for journalists and researchers.
