ON THEIR WEBSITE
Footer or about page
Embedded with HTML code we provide. Always links back to the practice's listing here.
For independent vet practices
Be found by pet owners actively looking for independent care.
Claim your free listing on the UK directory championing locally-owned veterinary practices — and receive the Independent Badge to display across your channels.
- Free for Founding Members joining in the directory's first year. No subscription, no upgrades.
- Five-minute claim. Confirm your details and you're listed on the directory.
- The Independent Badge included — a digital kit for your website, email, and social.
What you get
More than a listing. A place in the directory.
Four benefits, one five-minute claim.
Featured on the directory
Your practice appears prominently on city and region pages, in pet-owner search results, and in editorial selections. Pet owners actively browsing for independent care find you first.
The Independent Badge
A digital kit for your website, email signatures, and social channels. A recognisable mark that links pet owners back to your verified directory listing.
Editorial profile, written for you
Optionally, we'll curate your profile from your existing website content — in the directory's editorial style. Or do it yourself in 15 minutes via your dashboard.
Founding Member status
Permanent recognition for the first practices to join the directory, with free badge access maintained for the lifetime of your listing.
How it works
From signup to listed in three small steps.
From the moment you start to the moment your listing goes live: about five minutes.
1
Find your practice
Search by name or postcode. If you've come from your unclaimed listing, we already know which one is yours.
30 seconds2
Verify and confirm
Confirm your role and that your practice is independently owned. We send a verification link to your work email.
2 minutes3
Download your badge
Your listing goes Featured on the directory. Your Independent Badge becomes available to download. Your practice is now part of the directory.
InstantAfter you've claimed
Make your listing sing.
Two ways to turn your basic listing into a full editorial profile. Both are free, both are returnable to anytime.
Recommended
Option one · Let us do it
We'll write your profile for you.
Give us permission to use copy and images from your existing practice website. We'll write a curated profile in the directory's editorial style and send you a preview link to review before it goes live.
- Profile drafted by our editorial team, not by an AI
- Preview link sent within two weeks
- You review, edit, and approve before publication
- If photos or details are missing, we'll get in touch
Option two · Do it yourself
Edit your listing directly.
Sign into your dashboard and add your practice story, opening hours, team, photos, and facilities. Most practices complete the full profile in around fifteen minutes.
- Live the moment you click Save
- Full control over every word and photo
- Update anytime — opening hours, team changes, new photos
- Switch to Option one later if you change your mind
In the wild
Where you'll see the badge.
Independent practices display the badge on their own channels. Each one links back to their listing.
Appointment confirmation10:24
Dr Sarah Chen
Veterinary Surgeon, Pawswick
Morningside, Edinburgh
IN EMAIL SIGNATURES
Every appointment confirmation
Compact PNG sized for email — quietly reinforcing independent status with every email sent.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Profile images and posts
Square, story, and post-overlay versions provided. Display on Facebook, Instagram, or anywhere else.
Why this directory exists
Your independence is increasingly rare — and worth championing.
In 2013, corporate groups owned around 10% of UK veterinary practices. Today, they own more than 60%. Practices that have stayed locally owned are now the minority, and increasingly need a clear way to be recognised as such.
This directory is the response — a single place where pet owners actively looking for independent care can find practices like yours. The Independent Badge is part of how we make that visible across the web.
2013
10%
Corporate group ownership of UK veterinary practices
Today
60%+
Corporate group ownership of UK veterinary practices
Source: Competition and Markets Authority (2026).
Common questions
What practice owners ask first.
If your question isn't answered here, please email us directly.
Is it really free? What's the catch?
Yes, genuinely. Listing on the directory is free for Founding Members — practices joining in the directory's first year. That includes Featured placement on the directory, the Independent Badge digital kit, the option to have your profile curated for you, and your Founding Member status maintained for life. There is no subscription, no premium tier, no card on file. We don't take advertising revenue and we don't sell data.
The directory is funded by Vet Web Design, an agency that builds websites for independent practices. The directory exists to champion the kind of practices the agency works with. Listing here is free; if you also need a website, that's a separate conversation.
What's the difference between the listing and the badge?
When you claim your listing, your practice appears prominently on the directory — visible to pet owners browsing by region, city, or postcode. Your listing includes your address, opening hours, team, photos, and your practice story.
The Independent Badge is the digital kit you receive alongside your listing — a recognisable mark to display on your own website, in email signatures, and on social media. The badge links pet owners back to your verified directory listing.
You don't apply for them separately. Claim your listing and the badge becomes available immediately.
My practice isn't on your directory yet. Can I still apply?
Yes. Our launch dataset is drawn from the RCVS register but isn't exhaustive — newly opened practices, edge cases, and recent registrations may not yet appear. If you can't find your practice during the claim flow, there's a clear option to add it. You'll need your RCVS practice registration number to hand.
What if my practice is acquired by a corporate group later?
The badge exists to mark current independent ownership. If a practice is acquired by a corporate group, holding company, or private equity firm, the badge needs to be removed.
We don't put the admin burden of recertification on you. We monitor Companies House and the RCVS register periodically and reach out if ownership records change. You're welcome to let us know directly too.
Do I have to be RCVS Accredited?
No. RCVS Practice Standards accreditation is separate. The Independent Badge is open to any independently-owned UK practice registered with the RCVS.
If you happen to also be RCVS Accredited, that's celebrated separately on your listing — but it's not a requirement for the badge.
Can I use the badge in print? On signage?
Yes. Your badge kit includes high-resolution PNG and SVG versions that can be used in print materials, on signage, on window stickers, or anywhere else you'd like to display it. Brief usage guidelines are included.
We don't post physical materials at the moment — this may change in future — but the artwork is yours to print as you wish.
Who's behind this directory?
Local Independent Vets is an editorial directory built and maintained by Vet Web Design, an agency working with independently-owned UK veterinary practices. The site has no corporate sponsors and takes no advertising.
Helen Marsh (MRCVS) is the editorial voice behind our journalism and longer features about the independent sector.
What is a 'Founding Member'?
Practices who join the directory in its first year are permanently recognised as Founding Members. The status appears on your listing and stays with you as the directory grows — a way of acknowledging the practices who supported the project in its early days.
Founding Members receive the Independent Badge free for the lifetime of their listing. You don't need to apply separately — claim your badge during this period and the status is automatic.
For practice owners
Run an independent practice? Claim your place in the directory.
Claim your listing and your practice will be Featured on the directory the moment we verify your details. The Independent Badge is yours immediately. Most claims take under five minutes.
Free for Founding MembersUnder 5 minutesBadge available instantly