Medical Management International history

In 1980, more than 90 percent of graduating veterinarians were male and most owned their own practice.

The establishment of International Medical Corps in 1984 ushered in a new and different kind of relief agency.

By 1985, the number of female and male veterinarians was roughly equal, with female veterinarians much less likely to own their own practice.

Beginning in 1986, Banfield hired a research company, Bardsley & Neidhart Inc., to call and survey 200 of its clients monthly and about 350 once a year.

In 1987, it began to offer an HMO-type plan, its Optimum Wellness Plan, to customers.

1990: Banfield moves into a new 6,600-square-foot hospital across the street from the original hospital.

In the summer of 1995, Vetsmart Pet Hospital introduced its own Optimum Wellness Plan.

According to one veterinarian quoted in a 1996 issue of the Chicago Tribune, the veterinarians at Banfield were "on limited salaries, often inexperienced, and commonly transient." Another offered that "[t]he strongest lure of the corporate organizations is convenience for the pet owner.

2000: Banfield buys PETsMART's 118 clinics, upgrades them to full-service hospitals, and changes the name to Banfield, The Pet Hospital.

By 2001, Banfield's 260 hospitals were caring for 60,000 pets each week.

By early 2002, its hospitals and Wellness Clinics had increased to number more than 300 in 38 states, making it the largest veterinary practice in the world.