Vets Pets adds fifth Oak Heart hospital in Raleigh: full analysis
Vets Pets is adding another flag to Raleigh’s increasingly competitive companion animal market, with plans to open Oak Heart Veterinary Hospital at North Hills in early summer 2026. The new site at 3700 Six Forks Road will be the fifth Oak Heart location in the city and will be led by Jake Clements, DVM, who has practiced at Oak Heart’s Longview hospital since 2023. The move was first summarized in a dvm360 clinic roundup and detailed further in Vets Pets’ own announcement and Oak Heart’s location page. (dvm360.com)
The expansion fits a familiar pattern in veterinary services: established regional groups are building density in fast-growing suburban and mixed-use corridors rather than relying only on de novo growth in entirely new markets. Vets Pets said North Hills is one of Raleigh’s fastest-growing areas and argued that demand for veterinary care there continues to outpace availability. That framing matters, because access to veterinary care remains a national concern, with recent research and industry discussion continuing to point to meaningful barriers for pet families seeking timely care. (thevetspets.com)
Oak Heart’s new location appears positioned as a broad, convenience-oriented general practice rather than a narrow specialty outpost. Vets Pets said the hospital will offer companion animal medicine, diagnostic services, comprehensive dentistry with digital radiography, boarding, doggie daycare, grooming, and training, while Oak Heart’s own page also lists surgery and pharmacy services. The broader Oak Heart network already includes sites at South Saunders, Dixie Trail, Longview, and Person Street, with the South Saunders campus also providing emergency and urgent care. That gives the brand a multi-site Raleigh platform that can potentially support referrals, scheduling flexibility, and continuity within one system. (thevetspets.com)
Leadership is also part of the story. Clements, an NC State veterinary graduate, is being elevated from Oak Heart’s Longview location to lead the North Hills hospital. In the company announcement, Oak Heart partner George Ghneim, DVM, said the North Hills area is “growing fast,” while Vets Pets CEO Steve Thomas described the fifth location as a “natural next step” for the group. Those comments are promotional, but they also reflect a practical industry reality: groups that can develop internal medical leaders may have an easier time opening new sites than organizations that must recruit externally into a tight labor market. (thevetspets.com)
The dvm360 item also paired the Oak Heart news with two retail developments: Pet Supplies Plus’ new Covington, Kentucky, store and Jakewell’s combined baby-and-pet concept in Hong Kong. On the surface, those are separate stories. But together they underline a wider pet care shift, with brands across veterinary and retail channels trying to capture more of the pet parent journey through proximity, convenience, and bundled offerings. Pet Supplies Plus’ new Covington store includes grooming and self-wash services, while Jakewell is testing a hybrid retail format built around modern households shopping for both babies and pets. (dvm360.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the Oak Heart opening is less about one more address in Raleigh and more about what kind of practice model is gaining ground. Multi-location regional groups are betting that pet parents want one trusted brand that can cover preventive care, diagnostics, dentistry, ancillary services, and, in some cases, urgent or emergency needs. That can create advantages in retention, cross-referral, and operational efficiency, but it also raises the competitive bar for independent practices on staffing, hours, service breadth, and client communication. In markets where access remains uneven, an added full-service hospital may relieve some pressure, though one new site alone won’t solve broader affordability or workforce constraints. (thevetspets.com)
What to watch: The immediate next milestone is the North Hills launch itself, with Vets Pets scheduling a grand opening for June 27, 2026. After that, the key questions are whether the hospital opens on time, how quickly it staffs up, and whether Vets Pets continues building cluster density in Raleigh or uses the Oak Heart model for similar expansions elsewhere in North Carolina. (thevetspets.com)