Pets at Home

{{Infobox company

| name = Pets at Home Group PLC

| logo = PetsAtHome.svg

| logo_size = 170px

| type = Public limited company

| traded_as = {{ubl|{{lse|PETS}}|FTSE 250 component}}

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1991}}

| founder = Anthony Preston

| location = Handforth, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom

| area_served = United Kingdom

| key_people = Ian Burke (Chairman)
Lyssa McGowan
(CEO)

| industry = Retail

| products = Pet supplies

| owner =

| revenue = {{increase}} £1,476.6 million (2024){{cite web |url=https://www.petsathomeplc.com/media/quknfwh3/44783-pets-ar24-web-final.pdf|title=Annual Results for the year ended 31 March 2024|publisher=Pets at Home |access-date=10 February 2025}}

| operating_income = {{decrease}} £145.5 million (2024)

| net_income = {{decrease}} £79.2 million (2024)

| num_employees =

| divisions = Vets for Pets
Pets Grooming

| homepage = [http://www.petsathome.com www.petsathome.com]

}}

File:Pets at Home - Westgate Retail Park - geograph.org.uk - 1217691.jpg, West Yorkshire. (2009)]]

File:Pets at Home, Park Road Retail Park, Pontefract (4th September 2020).jpg, West Yorkshire.]]

Pets at Home Group PLC (sometimes shortened to Pets) is a British retailer selling pets (not limited to rabbits, rodents and fish), pet food, toys, bedding and medication.

Founded in 1991, the company operates 453 stores across the UK, as well as an online store. The company also provides in-store services, such as grooming, veterinary care and dog training.

In March 2014, the company was the subject of an initial public offering, and has since been listed on the London Stock Exchange as a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.{{cite web |date=12 March 2014 |title=Poundland and Pets at Home set flotation share prices |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/mar/12/poundland-pets-at-home-float-share-price-ipo |access-date=24 June 2014 |website=TheGuardian.com}}

History

The first store was opened in Chester in 1991, by Anthony Preston.{{cite news |title=Pets At Home groomed for £200m sale |url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article827612.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612142049/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article827612.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 June 2011 |work=The Times |date=18 April 2004 |access-date=29 May 2009 | location=London | first1=Matthew | last1=Goodman | first2=Lucinda | last2=Kemeny}}

In December 1999, Pets at Home acquired Petsmart UK,{{cite news |title=Company Briefs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/16/business/company-briefs-918547.html |work=The New York Times |date=16 December 1999 |access-date=29 May 2009 }} bringing a chain of 140 stores under Pets at Home branding.{{cite news |title=Pets at Home Woofs up Growth |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-31364688_ITM |work=Estates Gazette |date=23 June 2007 |access-date=29 May 2009 }}

Pets at Home was sold to Bridgepoint Capital for £230 million in July 2004.{{cite news |title=Bridgepoint poised to swoop on Pets at Home |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aadd7110-d91f-11d8-b986-00000e2511c8.html |work=Financial Times |date=19 July 2004 |access-date=9 May 2015 }}

In November 2007, the 200th store, Barnstaple, opened.{{cite news |title=Pampered pooches could go public |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/nov/08/retail.pets |work=The Guardian |date=8 November 2007 |access-date=29 May 2009 | location=London | first=Julia | last=Finch}}

On 27 January 2010, Pets at Home was sold by Bridgepoint Capital to US-based investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) for around £955 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/privateequity/7086259/KKR-buys-Pets-at-Home-for-955m.html|title=KKR buys Pets at Home for £955m|work=The Telegraph|date= 28 January 2010|access-date=24 June 2014}}

In March 2014, the company was the subject of an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/mar/12/poundland-pets-at-home-float-share-price-ipo|title=Poundland and Pets at Home set flotation share prices|website=TheGuardian.com |date=12 March 2014|access-date=24 June 2014}}

In January 2018, KKR sold its remaining 12.3% stake in Pets at Home.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/950c65be-0131-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5|title=KKR sells remaining stake in Pets at Home|website=www.ft.com}}

Operations

Pets at Home operate 453 stores plus 316 grooming salons; Pets at Home also operate 394 veterinary surgeries operated on a joint venture partnership model and additionally 47 group managed veterinary practices.{{cite web|url=https://investors.petsathome.com/media/xn3pbvgx/pets-at-home-fy21-q1-trading-statement-vfinal.pdf|title=Quarter 1 Trading Statement Fiscal Year 2021|date=31 July 2020|publisher=Pets at Home |access-date=1 September 2020}} The joint venture businesses are generally small businesses which pay a percentage of turnover as a management fee to the company for back office services. The company runs a graduate training scheme intended to produce future joint venture partners.{{cite news|title=Seven day services: Setting up shop on the high street|url=http://www.hsj.co.uk/leadership/delivering-change/seven-day-services-setting-up-shop-on-the-high-street/5089886.article#.Vhtnu0pfZ1A|access-date=12 October 2015|publisher=Health Service Journal|date=1 September 2015}}

The company owns Vets for Pets,[https://www.greg.gg/webCompSearchDetails.aspx?id=zrnZ0Gx0ALw=&r=0&crn=&cn=Vets4Pets&rad=StartsWith&ck=False?height=994 Guernsey Registry for Vets4Pets] www.greg.gg. 3 February 2013. a Guernsey-based veterinary business that operates a national network of joint-venture partner veterinary practices focusing on treatment of small animals (domestic pets such as dogs, cats, rabbits etc.).[http://www.thisisguernsey.com/latest/2004/02/24/vets4pets-taking-a-lead-in-the-veterinary-world/ Vets4Pets taking a lead in the Veterinary World] www.thisisguernsey.com. 3 February 2013. The company enters into joint-venture partnershipsArsenault, Jane."Forging Nonprofit Alliances: A Comprehensive Guide to Enhancing Your Mission Through Joint Ventures and Partnerships" Jossey Bass,1998, p.33-49. with veterinary professionals (usually a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse)[http://www.petgazette.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=835:website-launched-to-help-vets-setting-up-in-practice&catid=147:trade-organisations&Itemid=616 Vets4Pets Partner Website Launch] www.petgazette.biz. 3 February 2013. to open new small animal practices. These practices are supported by two main support offices in Swindon and Manchester, which provide partners and their practices with full administrative support.[http://www.thisisguernsey.com/latest/2007/06/19/vets4pets-steps-on-it Vets4Pets steps on it] www.thisisguernsey.com. 3 February 2013.

== Controversies ==

The 17 September 2012 episode of BBC consumer affairs television programme Watchdog included a report on animal welfare conditions at Pets at Home.{{cite news |date=20 September 2010 |title=Pets at Home on Watchdog |url=http://www.petproductmarketing.co.uk/content.php?sid=586 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020195750/http://www.petproductmarketing.co.uk/content.php?sid=586 |archive-date=20 October 2013 |access-date=21 September 2012 |publisher=Pet Product Marketing}} The programme had visited eight stores, as part of an investigation which included Mike Jessop, former president of the Small Animal Veterinary Association. The programme discovered evidence of mistreatment of small animals, dead fish being left to rot and be eaten in tanks, and sick small animals up for sale.{{cite news |date=17 September 2012 |title=Pets at Home sell Dead fish, Guinea pigs with Ringworm, ill Rabbits |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGTy9YsO1qA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/YGTy9YsO1qA |archive-date=2021-12-15 |access-date=20 September 2012 |work=BBC Watchdog}}{{cbignore}} That month, Pets at Home issued a full response to the claims made in the broadcast.{{cite web |date=21 September 2012 |title=Pets at Home: Watchdog exposé is a "serious concern" |url=https://www.vettimes.co.uk/news/pets-at-home-watchdog-expose-is-a-serious-concern/ |publisher=Vet Times}} The BBC trust published a clarification on 7 June 2016 that the website included a version of the item made before Pets at Home's points in reply to criticisms were incorporated. In response to the complaint the programme-makers acknowledged that this represented a serious breach of the BBC's editorial standards and replaced the item with a version which reflected Pets at Home's points.{{cite web |title=Watchdog: BBC One and website, Thursday 11 and Thursday 18 June 2015 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/helpandfeedback/corrections_clarifications/corrections_2016/ |access-date=1 September 2020 |publisher=BBC}}