Pet owners trust veterinarians with the lives of our beloved animals. Yet, some corporate-owned vet clinics are making life-or-death decisions without documented in-clinic physical examinations.

On January 19, 2026, I took my senior German Shepherd, Nitka, to a PetVet Care Center-owned clinic in Georgia for a scheduled Quality of Life (QOL) evaluation.  Instead of bringing her inside for a thorough exam, the veterinarian came out to my car in the parking lot, glanced at Nitka in the car, and immediately recommended euthanasia.  He never touched her, never performed a physical exam, never asked about her daily life, and never completed a standard QOL evaluation.  He said she is "half the dog she used to be" and declared it's time to let her go.

Today — 122 days later — Nitka is still alive and happy.  She is under veterinarian care at a small community animal clinic (not corporate-owned) and has also been evaluated by a Veterinarian Specialist.  Although Nitka faces medical challenges, she continues to enjoy eating, drinking, playing, car rides, protecting our home, and being a loyal, loving companion.  She remains highly alert, engaged, and rests comfortably.  Nitka did NOT need to die on January 19.  

No pet owner should ever receive a life-or-death recommendation based on a cursory “parking lot” assessment.

Nitka’s story raises serious systemic concerns, including:

• Weak enforcement of basic examination standards;
• Pressure to rush critical decisions in high-volume corporate settings; and
• Lack of transparency and accountability for clinics owned by private equity firms.

Additional concerns include billing for services not rendered, duplicative billing, billing for medication never dispensed, and written threats of criminal “theft of services” charges in response to a legitimate civil billing dispute. These practices are coercive, misleading, and unacceptable in a licensed veterinary setting.

Please join me in demanding that Georgia lawmakers and the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine take immediate action to:

1. Require a documented, in-person physical examination in the clinic before any euthanasia recommendation can be made.
2. Ban non-clinical or “curbside/parking lot” assessments as the basis for major medical decisions.
3. Establish clear, enforceable standards for QOL evaluations.
4. Strengthen oversight and enforcement of veterinary practices especially those owned by corporate or private equity groups.
5. Mandate transparency in vet clinic ownership and business registration.
6. Hold vet clinics accountable for timely and proper business/name registration through the Georgia Secretary of State. 
7. End coercive billing and collection practices that use criminal threats to resolve civil billing disputes. 
8. Establish auditing and enforcement standards to address inaccurate or misleading medical record documentation.
9. End post-visit “charting” by mandating all medical record entries to be made during the appointment. Require any necessary updates to be clearly marked as "post-visit," time-stamped, signed by the veterinarian, and immediately disclosed, in writing, to the pet owner.

Pets are family.  They deserve thorough, compassionate care based on real medical evaluations, not brief parking lot encounters.  Please join me in demanding higher standards, real accountability, and protections for every pet and every family in Georgia.  Please sign this petition and share it widely.  

We can’t stop billion-dollar conglomerates from buying up vet clinics in Georgia or nationwide, but we can unite and use our voices to fight for meaningful change for all pets and pet owners. 

Nitka’s story was recently featured in a WSB-TV (Channel 2 in metro Atlanta) investigative segment on corporate veterinary care in Georgia. Click here to watch the segment or just copy this link:   https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/corporations-buying-up-veterinarian-clinics-some-say-theyre-putting-profits-over-pets/PJCFNFJ2QZAPDF4TXVNJDAOKJE/

PetVet Care Centers, which is owned by leading global investment firm Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts (KKR), responded to local media with this statement:

“The doctors and staff at Kay Animal Hospital are committed to providing high-quality, compassionate veterinary care. Clinical decisions are made by our veterinarians based on each patient’s condition, history, and safety considerations. We are confident in the care that was provided and remain focused on supporting our teams in delivering trusted, patient-centered service.”

For those interested in public reaction to the television segment, you can view and participate in the discussion on WSB-TV’s Facebook page by clicking here or just copy this link: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1427841762709829&set=pb.100064520571463.-2207520000