A Disney Veterinary Hospital??

[NJ_Chico]

Hey Everyone!

So I am a small animal veterinarian and MBA graduate who obviously is a disney fanatic. I wanted to pick your brains and ask you all what your thoughts would be if you saw Disney opening up a veterinary hospital in your state? In other words, the Disney corporation entering the veterinary market and providing the same level of quality customer service to their "guests" (i.e pets) and their owners. This would be a complete game changer in our field and I have been in talks about this concept. We all love and value Disney very much, why can't our pets experience that same love and care?

The theming would be classy and not overly Disney. However, the marketing is brilliant. Obviously Pluto, Mickey, Goofy, etc need their annual checkups and healthcare. . so where do they go??

Tell me your thoughts and advice!

Much appreciated!

--Adam Christman, DVM, MBA

 

[Luvchefmic]

Hey Everyone!

So I am a small animal veterinarian and MBA graduate who obviously is a disney fanatic. I wanted to pick your brains and ask you all what your thoughts would be if you saw Disney opening up a veterinary hospital in your state? In other words, the Disney corporation entering the veterinary market and providing the same level of quality customer service to their "guests" (i.e pets) and their owners. This would be a complete game changer in our field and I have been in talks about this concept. We all love and value Disney very much, why can't our pets experience that same love and care?

The theming would be classy and not overly Disney. However, the marketing is brilliant. Obviously Pluto, Mickey, Goofy, etc need their annual checkups and healthcare. . so where do they go??

Tell me your thoughts and advice!

Much appreciated!

--Adam Christman, DVM, MBA

They'll never go for it. If the company wanted to they would open their own and maybe hire you but that's as far as it would go I would bet anything.

 

[sonnyjane]

Very interesting concept, but I would say that with the current controversy regarding how theme parks care for their animals (and I am not going to go into that debate here), I wouldn't embrace this idea. As a customer I would wonder if they were concerned as much with my animal and personal care as they were big profits - is my money REALLY going toward the animals? And it would be really weird to explain to a child why you're taking your dog in to be put down and having that associated with Disney.

I don't think this would fly.

 

[Luvchefmic]

sonnyjane, I never even thought of when the time for euthanasia comes...for sure this won't happen.

 

[weeniecat2442]

I am a bit wary about corporately owned/run vet hospitals. I have spent time shadowing in a corporate one and time working as a tech in a privately run vet. You can easily see the differences in the time that the private one allows their doctors to spend in appointments while the corporate branches seem to be all about numbers and therefore rushing appointments along, which of course is never a good thing.

When it comes to my pets I don't really care about cute marketing- I care about the knowledge, the compassion, the genuine interest in my pets health & well being AND the time that a doctor and his or her staff is willing to give us.

The vet I work for takes a LOT of time educating her clients - whether it be a new puppy/kitten visit and we are going over all of the basics, what vaccines may or may not work for their & the pets lifestyle, the importance of taking care of teeth etc. I think a lot of people these days complaining about high vet bills feel like they spend all of this money to just be rushed in and then rushed out. They are not being educated on WHY we do these certain things, why that blood work is recommended. I would be afraid that in a big corporate setting staff and doctors would be too worried about their overseer's making money, therefore pushing people out the door and losing focus of what is important.

 

[3Gsandme]

There's nothing about the Disney brand that would entice me to change vets. In fact, I'd expect them to be MORE expensive than my usual vet and I wouldn't be interested in paying for my vet care in "Disney dollars". I go to Disney when I need excellent entertainment. Not flea and tick meds.

 

[Tozzie]

No thanks, i will stick with the vet I have been usung for the last 20+ years. I love Disney but just because it is the disney name does not mean i would blindly trust them outside of travel/ entertainment.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I MIGHT be willing to buy dog food if Pluto was on the label but that's just because I am nuts

 

[Allison]

Nope, I would not be interested in having Disney in any way involved in the world of vet medicine.

 

[Lynne M]

This is.....not something I would be interested in at all, just as I would not be interested in a Disney-run hospital. And I wouldn't think a whole lot of a pet owner who chose a vet because they have Pluto on their business cards.

When it comes to medical facilities, for pets or humans, people want quality of care. Disney is an entertainment company, with zero experience or expertise in healthcare. Just because they run a hotel or a theme park well doesn't mean they know a single thing about treating feline leukemia, or that they even understand the business side of running a healthcare facility. They're a media/entertainment/travel company, top to bottom. Healthcare is not their world.

Now, I can see Disney getting into providing supplies for veterinary clinics. Disney-themed bandages, wall decorations with Mickey in a lab coat, that sort of thing.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

It sounds like a PR and liability nightmare with which Disney would never get involved.

 

[sonnyjane]

sonnyjane, I never even thought of when the time for euthanasia comes...for sure this won't happen.

Yeah the mental image is awful. The worst day of your life, everyone crying... "Saddest Place on Earth"

 

[Luvchefmic]

I keep thinking about " Old Yeller " yeah I don't think " the mouse " would want to go down that road

Edited: After I posted this I had a vague memory of something nagging at me and did a little more research. Apparently around 2008-2011 Disney and a company called Kroger came out with this:

also in dry food. Reportedly many dogs got sick and died and the food was pulled out of market. So after that little research down memory lane I am more positive than ever that the Disney Co wouldn't have any interest in Vet care or anything related to our domestic friends/family members.

 

[sailorstitch]

I MIGHT be willing to buy dog food if Pluto was on the label but that's just because I am nuts

I keep thinking about " Old Yeller " yeah I don't think " the mouse " would want to go down that road

Edited: After I posted this I had a vague memory of something nagging at me and did a little more research. Apparently around 2008-2011 Disney and a company called Kroger came out with this:

also in dry food. Reportedly many dogs got sick and died and the food was pulled out of market. So after that little research down memory lane I am more positive than ever that the Disney Co wouldn't have any interest in Vet care or anything related to our domestic friends/family members.

I HAVE bought Disney cat food! Kroger's also have cans of Aristocats wet cat food. I've bought quite a bit of that stuff and have a stash of the empty can in my garage. They also made 101 Dalmatians puppy training pads. We used those for a while around our cats' litter box for when they... missed.

As for a vet's office.... The only way I see this working is if it was an emergency vet's office at the parks.

sailorstitch

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

I am a bit wary about corporately owned/run vet hospitals. I have spent time shadowing in a corporate one and time working as a tech in a privately run vet. You can easily see the differences in the time that the private one allows their doctors to spend in appointments while the corporate branches seem to be all about numbers and therefore rushing appointments along, which of course is never a good thing.

When it comes to my pets I don't really care about cute marketing- I care about the knowledge, the compassion, the genuine interest in my pets health & well being AND the time that a doctor and his or her staff is willing to give us.

The vet I work for takes a LOT of time educating her clients - whether it be a new puppy/kitten visit and we are going over all of the basics, what vaccines may or may not work for their & the pets lifestyle, the importance of taking care of teeth etc. I think a lot of people these days complaining about high vet bills feel like they spend all of this money to just be rushed in and then rushed out. They are not being educated on WHY we do these certain things, why that blood work is recommended. I would be afraid that in a big corporate setting staff and doctors would be too worried about their overseer's making money, therefore pushing people out the door and losing focus of what is important.

Off topic, but after years of using independent vets in multiple states for multiple pets and always feeling rushed, nickeled & dimed, and given the hard sell on extra products, we've finally found happiness with a major corporate vet clinic. We found them when we were trying to find a vet to care for my daughter's beloved guinea pig who was very sick (yes, I'm a softie and had to at least try to save the poor little love's life) and our regular vet wouldn't treat her. We've since had them care for our dog, cat, and guinea pigs and they've been great. I suspect it's more dependent on the vets in the clinic, but caring, compassion and interest exist in all venues.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Disney is where you go to get away from real life, not deal with it. I would not want to associate Disney with my sick or dying pet.

 

[Jennasis]

There's about as much chance of this happening as there is a chance of Disney opening up several urgent-care centers around the country. Disney is an ENTERTAINMENT company...not a medical provider.

Nil.