Membership-Based Juno Veterinary Plans National Expansion, Opens 1st Location [Retail Insider]

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Juno Veterinary, a design-forward, tech-enabled pet health company, has launched with its first location in the Summerhill neighbourhood of Toronto, bringing its innovative membership-based veterinary practice to the market with plans to expand the concept.

The company says it is reimagining, redesigning and inspiring the vet experience with best-in-class technology, 24/7 virtual care access, concierge medicine, and warm hospitality.

Jamie Shea, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, said the idea of building the business began about 12 months ago.

The unique concept has opened at 1073 Yonge St. Its second location will open in the new year in the King West Neighbourhood of Toronto, with more openings planned throughout 2023.

“We have a number of locations in the pipeline to open next year. This is the first of many,” said Shea.

The first location is about 3,000 square feet and it is a fully functional animal hospital serving both primary care, health and wellness, as well as urgent care patients.

It has exam rooms, a full surgical suite, dental suite, treatment area and “due to a significant investment in staff areas, have care team spaces that are much larger than the industry norm.”

“We exist to make veterinary care something everyone can look forward to. Our renewed vet clinic model empowers our care team vets to provide compassionate care in an environment that feels more like a living room than a lab,” said Cassandra Vlahaki, Co-Founder and Chief Veterinarian at Juno Veterinary.

Shea said the company chose its first location because it wanted to be part of the community that it serves. Summerhill is a very residential area but it also pulls from high density condo towers in Yorkville. Shea said it’s great to be located in a well-known Toronto community which is easily accessible.

He said Juno Vet’s $149 yearly membership offers peace of mind and includes an annual exam, same-day or next day urgent appointments and 24/7 telemedicine access 365-days a year from Juno’s virtual care team. Additional benefits include quality time with vets, and transparent pricing. Juno Vet clinics provide services from routine checkups, wellness, preventative and dental care, to urgent care and surgery.

“We’re really trying to reimagine the vet experience for both pet parents and the care teams that service them. We’ve taken a much more modern approach. How do we create the next generation vet clinic? For us, what membership means is think of us as an omni channel business. We have both an in-clinic element to our business as well as a 24/7, 365 days a year virtual care platform that is paired with our offering,” explained Shea.

He said pet ownership has drastically increased in Canada over the last few  years.

“Right now the market is about a $130 billion market. That’s anticipated to double by 2030. Much like what we’re seeing in human medicine, veterinary care is seeing a record-level consumer demand, as well as increased burnout amongst the clinical care teams that are trying to provide the best care, and keep up with increased demand. So a big part of our model around how we’ve built this next-generation brand is synonymous with exceptional customer experience and exceptional care for our care teams.”

The company said its innovative concept eliminates concerns regarding long wait times, and severe burnout and shortages within the vet industry, at a time when more Canadians have pets than ever before. There is more working space and private space for the care team.

“While most health and wellness businesses have undergone digital transformations, the pet care industry lags. Juno Vet is leading the modernization of the industry with a uniquely designed tech-enabled veterinary platform that maximizes efficiency and reduces the administrative burden for vets. Automation, team structure, and outsourcing non-pet related duties enable Juno’s team of vet professionals to strictly focus on providing the best care and take caregiving to new heights.”

“We want to bring joy back to the profession and set a new benchmark of care,” added Vlahaki.

Architecture for Juno Veterinary is provided by ALA Alda Ly Architecture.

Kate Camenzuli of brokerage CBRE represents the brand for its expansion.