Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 30, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 9 Realizing the vet space is an industry with a higher-than-average rate of return on investment, private equity invested $51.6 billion into the sector from 2017 to 2023, and another $9.3 billion in the first four months of 2024, according to an April 2024 article published in e Atlantic. is means what was once a locally-owned clinic may actually be controlled by a large investment group. Lindsay is married to a retired veteri- narian who sold his practice to a firm she said maintained his previous level of care and thoughtfulness, but she's heard not all clinics are so lucky. "e complaints I'm hearing from people is they went in for one thing and walked out having had all of these x-rays or blood tests done," she said. "So there's kind of an upsell. … going on with some of the corporate veterinary hospitals." Families are now spending more on basics like pet food, too. Annual spend- ing on pet food is in the range of $655- $1,905 in 2025, according to the Rover True Cost of Pet Parenthood Report, up from $200-$1,000 in 2020. A comprehensive shelter crisis While rising costs play a role in the shelter crisis, larger economic and socie- tal forces have a role, too, said Lindsay. "We have a veterinary shortage, and then, on top of that, housing issues," she said. "at's a big thing that people aren't talking about." People aren't just losing their hous- ing due to eviction or rent increases, as sometimes it's simply a landlord wants to redevelop, and the resident can't find a new place allowing their specific type of pet or breed, she said. Divorces and family issues are a com- mon cause of pets being surrendered, ac- cording to ASPCA. Pet behavioral issues remain one top factor in surrenders. Both Lindsay and Jefferis have seen what they perceive to be an increase in animal hoarding, where shelters find themselves scrambling to react to the dis- covery of a home with dozens of animals. In June, Second Chance Animal Ser- vices in East Brookfield took in 52 cats surrendered by what the nonprofit called a well-intentioned but overwhelmed local resident. "With this many cats, the medical care quickly adds up," Lindsay Doray, chief development officer at Second Chance, said in a June 17 press release. "In addition to 52 spay and neuter surgeries, these cats require hundreds of vaccines, two weeks of medication for upper re- spiratory infections, and specialized care for underweight and pregnant cats. ey also need foster care, food, litter, and daily staff support." e shelter estimated the cost of care for the surrendered cats to be $18,000, urging locals to lend their support. Eating the walls When a group of pet lovers gathered 38 years ago to construct an animal shelter in Hopkinton, they assumed the approximately 2,400-square-foot struc- ture would serve as a temporary upgrade from the trailers they had used. "Our building was built in 1987 by volunteers," Jefferis of Baypath Humane said. "Some of them are still around, and they're funny because they're like 'We never thought this place would still be W going.'" Baypath has found homes for 25,000+ animals since its founding in 1977, but aer decades of doing everything to maximize its space, it's now working to- ward building a 8,200-square-foot shelter building, allowing for a higher level of care to a greater number of animals. Having secured a 50-year lease for a five-acre parcel of land owned by the Town of Hopkinton and raised $5.1 mil- lion toward an ongoing campaign goal of $6.5 million, Baypath plans to begin construction this year. e new space will contain more F O C U S Dogs are our favorite pet More Americans have pets than ever before. As of 2024, 86.9 million homes, or 66% of U.S. households, owned a pet, up from 56% in 1988, according to Forbes. The vast majority of those households — 65.1 million — were homes to dogs. Still, 46.5 million households in the U.S. had a cat, making them the second-most popular pet in the country, followed by fish, birds, and then small animals like hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, and guinea pigs. When polled online, WBJ readers said the pet they were most likely to own is a dog. Do you have a pet? Yes, a dog No, I do not own a pet. Yes, a cat Yes, I have multiple animals. Yes, fish Yes, another small animal Yes, other Yes, a bird 35% 24% 19% 18% 2% 1% 1% 0% Laurel Skidgell and Baypath's other volunteers have been making the most of its 2,400-square-foot shelter until its new modern facility is completed. separation for cats and dogs, modern equipment, and better air quality control, a key aspect of keeping shelter pets healthy, said Jefferis. e building will provide more space for Baypath's 200+ volunteers, who contributed 14,200 hours of time in 2023. Baypath's current facility has "nowhere for the staff to have lunch," Jefferis said. "e new building, in a very expensive time, is still modest. We won't have a lunch room, but we'll have room for a minifridge so staff can put their lunches somewhere. We're not building a resort, but it will be a little bit more of a respect- able space for all the people that care for the animals." Building out a new shelter space falls behind only hospitals and prisons in terms of cost, she said. "You need really good plumbing because, you know, they're animals," she said. "You need really good HVAC systems. It's a very expensive endeavor. My friend runs a food pantry in town, but ostensibly, the volunteers there aren't trying to eat the wall. But at our place, our animals are." Baypath still needs community sup- port, she said, whether it be through do- nations, adoption, or serving as a foster family. She pointed to Cleo, an energetic, seven-year-old, mixed-breed female at Baypath, as the perfect example of the type of loving pet obtainable through adoption. "Cleo has been at Baypath for almost a year now, and she needs attention," Lindsay said. Where do Americans get their cats & dogs? Shelters play a key role in connecting pets in need with owners. Adoption source Dogs Cats Shelter/humane society/rescue 39% 42% Friend/relative/ private party 35% 31% Breeder/pet store 29% 24% Stray 4% 12% Litter 4% 7% Source: 2022 American Pet Products Association (APPA) National Pet Owners Survey U.S. pet spending Annual U.S. pet expenditures have in- creased by 74% in the past seven years. Source: American Pet Products Association 0 $50 $100 $150 $200 Dollars in billions $90.5B $151.9B* '18 '25 '19 '20 '21 '22 '23 '24 *Projetced

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