Veterinarian shaking paw of husky representative of Covetrus Partnership with Heart+Paw.

Covetrus announces new partnership with Heart + Paw

Industry | August 2019

Written by:

Graham Garrison is an editor and writer with experience in business and trade publications across several industries. He has worked for Veterinary Advantage since 2009.

Pet care company has “significant” growth plans.

Covetrus announced a new strategic partnership with Heart + Paw, an integrated pet care company that offers comprehensive wellness for animals, including veterinary care, boarding, daycare, grooming and community experiences to pets and their parents. Heart + Paw opened its first center in June 2019 and has significant national growth plans with an initial focus on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, according to a release.

“We are excited to support the vision of the management team at Heart + Paw as they work to reimagine pet care,” said Covetrus EVP and President of North America Matt Leonard. “With our differentiated set of service capabilities, we are well-positioned to help Heart + Paw deliver quality care and enhance practice health for their growing network.”

Covetrus will serve as the supply chain partner for Heart + Paw, a new concept in the pet care market that will deliver an integrated experience for pets and their parents. Heart + Paw — led by Vincent Bradley, the former president and CEO of Banfield — has plans to build and acquire 200+ sites in the coming years. On June 22, Heart + Paw celebrated the grand opening of their first location in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Locations in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia will be coming this year.

The new multi-year agreement provides strategic benefits for both companies by pairing the future scale of Heart + Paw with the high-touch service and supply chain expertise of Covetrus, the release said. Both Covetrus and Heart + Paw are exploring ways to drive additional partnership amidst the desire to leverage technology to enhance the client experience and streamline workflow.

“Our vision is to create a completely new experience for pets and the people who love and serve them. Having a partner that understands our goal and supports our desire to reimagine petcare is vital.” said Co-Founder and Chief Veterinary Officer of Heart + Paw, Dr. George Melillo. “With Covetrus, we have formed a relationship that has allowed us to not only launch our brand but to keep pace with our rapid growth strategy.”

>