When a Gainesville dog gets sick on a Sunday evening, its owner can drive to UrgentVet on Clark Butler Boulevard, one of the few clinics in town that advertises evening, weekend and holiday hours.
The clinic is part of American Veterinary Group, a national company backed by the New York private equity firm Oak Hill Capital. So are Haile Plantation Animal Clinic and Town & Country Veterinarians and Pet Resort.
Gainesville pet owners may have noticed changes in costs or appointments without knowing why. Often, it’s because the veterinary practice was bought by a private equity firm, a management company that buys smaller companies and makes changes to increase revenue and ultimately resell it within three to five years to generate profit…