Planning to start a vet clinic in Canada? Learn the essential steps, from licensing and location to financing and staffing, plus expert tips from VetCircle.

Can you own a vet clinic without being a veterinarian?

Overall, veterinarians have the most straightforward path to ownership, but alternative structures are possible. Ownership requirements vary by province, and while most provinces require DVM ownership, some allow RVTs to own practices, and others permit non-veterinarian ownership. 

While most provincial regulations may require DVMs to be owners, working with the right lawyer and putting in the right legal structure in place allows non-veterinarians to own clinics in all provinces. This is how many corporate groups operate veterinary practices. While non-DVMs can own a veterinary practice, you will always need a licensed veterinarian to be designated to represent the practice with the regulatory college. This individual, often called the Medical Director, does not have to be the owner. In these cases, working with a lawyer is essential to ensure compliance. 

Province	Who Can Own a Veterinary Practice (as per provincial regulations)?
BC	Anyone can own a veterinary practice, but there must be a DVM in Charge.
AB	DVMs must own 51% of voting shares.
SK	DVMs must own 100%.
MB	DVMs must own 100%.
ON	DVMs must own 100%.
NB	DVMs must own 100%.
NS	DVMs must own 51% of voting shares.
PEI	DVMs must own 100%.
Newfoundland & Labrador	Anyone can own a veterinary practice, but there must be a DVM in Charge.

5 Steps to starting a veterinary practice

1. Preparation Stage

1. The first step is preparation. Complete this veterinary practice ownership readiness assessment (https://form.jotform.com/VetCircle/is-veterinary-practice-ownership-fo) to better understand the mental and physical resilience required to own a business. Review your personal finances to determine the minimum monthly income you need to cover your expenses. This will help you assess whether now is the right time to start your ownership journey.
2. How long does it take to be an owner? Purchasing a clinic can take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years, largely depending on the seller’s readiness. If the practice is already listed with a brokerage, the process can move quickly, sometimes closing within a few months. However, if you are approaching an owner directly or speaking with someone who is only beginning to consider selling, the process can take much longer for the owner to be emotionally and mentally ready to transition. Building a practice is typically more predictable, taking about 4 to 10 months after securing a location. That said, construction delays are common, so it is important to set realistic expectations and build in extra time where possible.
3. Think about your exit strategy, even if retirement is decades away, you need to consider whether you’d prefer to sell to an associate or a corporation. This decision will shape how you build your practice from the start.
4. Decide whether you own the practice alone or with a partner. While having a partner allows you to have shared responsibilities, it also means sharing the business. Before considering a partner, are you ok with limiting your control with decisions? Sharing and building a vision together? Handling conflicts that come up with a partner?
5. Assemble your support team. This should include a CPA, corporate lawyer (to help you incorporate), commercial real estate agent, lease advisor or real estate lawyer, an employment lawyer and the VetCircle team to guide you through each stage of ownership.

2. Choosing the Right Location

Your first step in starting a practice is choosing the right location. While location is critical, avoid becoming too rigid in your criteria. Don’t limit yourself to a specific building type, square footage, or layout (since most spaces will require a full renovation anyway) and make sure to stay flexible. Being overly selective is one of the main reasons many DVMs never move forward with ownership. Here are some criteria to consider:

• Zoning must allow animals and have exterior signage rights
• Visibility and access
• Enough parking for both staff and clients
• Size and expandability, ideally a square or rectangle (~1800 sqft – 3000 sqft)
• Power/HVAC/Plumbing capacity
• Neighbourhood mix (pet-friendly, near pet businesses that can drive client traffic to you)

Ideally, this should be within 5 to 10 km of where you currently practice. This allows existing clients to recognize you and follow you, helping you build a strong client base early. If you work for a privately owned practice, consider whether your current clinic owner may be open to selling. Buying into or taking over an existing practice can be one of the most efficient paths to ownership. If you work for a corporation or an owner who is not intending to sell any time soon, be mindful of any non-solicitation clauses in your contract. It is important to work with an employment lawyer to understand and mitigate any risks.

If you’re starting a practice from scratch in an area where you don’t yet have an established reputation, it’s important to carefully evaluate the local market first. Look for areas with strong population growth and limited competition. In 2026, clinics in underserved or rural areas are often growing faster than those in highly saturated cities.

Finally, secure your lease before anything else. Ensure proper zoning for a veterinary clinic, adequate space, and favourable lease terms, including rent incentives and improvement allowances (lean on your lease advisor or commercial real estate lawyer for guidance). Your location and lease should be finalized before approaching banks for financing.

3. Develop your Business Plan

Your business plan is essential for securing bank financing, gaining lease approval, and shaping how you launch and grow your practice. Your business plan should demonstrate how your practice can operate efficiently and generate strong, sustainable revenue. The goal is to show that you can achieve the highest possible return with controlled expenses.

While many DVMs feel tempted to emphasize community service or providing lower pricing in their business plan, this document is meant to present a financially viable and scalable business so you must keep the focus on profitability and long term success.

A strong business plan should include:

• Funding requirements and use of funds
• Revenue projections (Years 1 to 5)
• Break even analysis and profitability
• Loan security and repayment plan
• Business overview and model
• Market and location analysis (including competitive advantages)
• Core services offered
• Operational plan (staffing, schedule, equipment)
• Marketing plan

Expect to spend roughly $220-$350/sqft on your build and location, and around $150,000 – $250,000 on equipment.

Bank loan approval will require a secured location (either signed lease agreement or signed purchase agreement) and a business plan. 

4. Secure Licensing and Permits

Once you have secured your practice location, the next step is to design your floorplan in collaboration with your architect and contractors. They will guide you through the engineering and structural requirements, while you provide direction on how the clinic should function operationally. This includes:

• Determining the size of rooms and hallways
• Defining workflow and patient/staff flow throughout the clinic
• Deciding on room placement and layout
• Outlining electrical, plumbing, and safety requirements in accordance with your provincial college standards
• Incorporating any additional requirements for certifications such as AAHA, Fear Free, or Cat Friendly
  

If you would like additional support, the VetCircle team can review your floorplans and provide operational guidance. Alternatively, we recommend working with an architectural firm that has experience designing veterinary hospitals for more hands-on expertise. Once the floorplans are finalized, your architect will submit them to the municipality to obtain the necessary permits before construction can begin.

4. Equip Your Clinic

Equipping your clinic requires structure and planning. In Canada, most equipment is purchased through distributors rather than directly from manufacturers. Distributors source, import, certify (CSA), and resell equipment, which means added costs and markups. There are relatively few manufacturers based in Canada. Because of this, always ask distributors about parts availability and servicing. If equipment is sourced from the U.S. and not widely used in Canada, servicing may be limited. This could mean troubleshooting over video or shipping equipment internationally at your expense.

To stay organized, group your purchases into:

• Large equipment that may require longer delivery times, permits and contractor installation
• Mid-range items with longer lead times
• Smaller equipment
• Consumables, which are typically available for next-day delivery through your distributors (CDMV, VPCL, WDDC, AVP)
  

This approach helps you avoid ordering everything at once! Also keep in mind that equipment quotes typically change every 3 to 6 months, so avoid requesting pricing too early if you are not ready to purchase.

5. Build your Team

Building the right team is one of the most critical parts of starting your clinic. Before hiring, be mindful of any non-solicitation clauses from previous employers. Work with a lawyer to ensure you are not unintentionally recruiting former colleagues, as this can lead to serious legal issues.

When it comes to hiring, we typically recommend using Indeed due to its strong visibility on Google, helping local candidates find your postings more easily.

Your first hires should be:

• A strong receptionist to cover all open hours
• One RVT for clinical support
  

Your receptionist is often overlooked but is essential. This person is the face of your business, responsible for answering phones, building client relationships, and delivering excellent customer service. While RVTs can help with phones, their priority is patient care, not client communication. A dedicated, service-focused receptionist will significantly impact your growth and client retention.

In the early stages, expect to be hands-on supporting your RVT with tasks as you build volume.

Avoid overhiring at the start. Most clinics take about three months to ramp up, even with strong marketing. As demand grows:

• Add a veterinary assistant once you are around 50%-60% booked
• Then consider hiring an additional RVT as your schedule fills
  

Hiring gradually allows you to stay financially sustainable while maintaining a high level of care and service.

How can VetCircle help?

If all of this feels overwhelming, VetCircle is here to support you!

Since 2021, we have helped over 90 practice owners across Canada start or acquire their clinics, guiding them through every stage of ownership. You do not have to navigate this alone!

For new owners, we offer 50% off your membership at $1,750 per year until your business turns 1 year old. This includes management and HR support, access to rebates and discounts for new clinics, equipment procurement support and preferred pricing, as well as ongoing management webinars!

Click here to book a meeting with Mariette to learn how VetCircle can support your ownership journey.