Veterinary practices to acquire in the North West
Updated 9 November 2026
Looking to acquire a veterinary practice in the North West? Firmbase ranks 490 veterinary practices using public company information to help buyers prioritise firms for research and potential outreach. The Approach Score ranks firms using public signals including director age and tenure, ownership, business scale, financial strength and recent changes. These firms are not listed for sale, and the ranking does not indicate that an owner is considering a sale.
The median firm has 15 staff and has been in business for 13 years; 305 firms are owned by groups that have acquired several firms in this sector. Looking beyond the North West? Explore the full UK list of veterinary practices.
490
Firms
UK 1,554
10%
Every director 55+
UK 14%
4%
Held 75%+ by one person
UK 18%
13
Median years in business
UK 12
15
Median headcount
UK 14
£500k to £1m
Median turnover band
UK £500k to £1m · includes our estimates
305 firms owned by 1 group that has bought several firms in this sector. That is 62% of this list, against 27% across the UK.
Towns with the most firms
- Manchester 21 firms
The first 25 firms, in Approach Score order
| Rank | Firm | Approach Score | The facts behind the score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverbank Veterinary Centre Preston, Lancashire | Approach Score 83/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08190352 · Companies House |
| 2 | Archway Veterinary Practice Grange-Over-Sands, Cumbria | Approach Score 82/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 07114071 · Companies House |
| 3 | J Jones T/A R T Jones Sale, Manchester | Approach Score 80/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04838160 · Companies House |
| 4 | The Lane Family PET Centre Wigan | Approach Score 80/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08452368 · Companies House |
| 5 | Copper Beech Vets Liverpool | Approach Score 79/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 14106767 · Companies House |
| 6 | Barrington Lodge Veterinary Clinic Altrincham, Cheshire | Approach Score 76/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08502523 · Companies House |
| 7 | Old Hall Vets Appleby | Approach Score 75/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06303379 · Companies House |
| 8 | Vets for Pets Handforth, Cheshire A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 74/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08279091 · Companies House |
| 9 | Mckinney Veterinary Practice Kirkby-in-Furness, Cumbria | Approach Score 74/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 12523213 · Companies House |
| 10 | Vets for Pets Handforth, Cheshire A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 73/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08998614 · Companies House |
| 11 | Thomason & Ritchie Equine Tarporley, Cheshire | Approach Score 72/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 09318395 · Companies House |
| 12 | Orrell Equine Warrington | Approach Score 72/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06547469 · Companies House |
| 13 | Rowcliffe House Vets Penrith, Cumbria | Approach Score 71/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06618800 · Companies House |
| 14 | Johnson & Wood Veterinary Practice Merseyside | Approach Score 71/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06265167 · Companies House |
| 15 | Vets for Pets Handforth, Cheshire A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 71/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08401602 · Companies House |
| 16 | Cheshire Pet Congleton | Approach Score 69/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 09643284 · Companies House |
| 17 | Pike Moor Vets Bolton, Lancashire | Approach Score 68/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04581734 · Companies House |
| 18 | ROB Mcnulty Neston, South Wirral | Approach Score 68/100 | We hold older figures than Companies House
More about this firm
Company no. 04896006 · Companies House |
| 19 | The Dales Veterinary Practice Wirral | Approach Score 68/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08763235 · Companies House |
| 20 | Rowan Vets Lancashire | Approach Score 68/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 05027378 · Companies House |
| 21 | Just Cats Veterinary Clinic Southport, Merseyside | Approach Score 67/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06003593 · Companies House |
| 22 | Cheadle Hulme Vets4pets Handforth, Cheshire A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 67/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 07778954 · Companies House |
| 23 | ST Helens Vets4pets Handforth, Cheshire A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 64/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 07780297 · Companies House |
| 24 | Northwich Vets Northwich | Approach Score 63/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 11998900 · Companies House |
| 25 | Vets for Pets Handforth, Cheshire A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 63/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 09141907 · Companies House |
465 more firms are in the list, in Approach Score order.
You're seeing the first 25. Buy all 490 for £799 + VAT, with the facts behind each score, director names, shareholders and financials.
Buy the list of all 490 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.
What's in the file
One row per firm, in Approach Score order, as Excel + CSV.
It holds the facts behind each score, points for each part of the score, financials with dates, publicly available contact details, where identified, director names and named shareholders.
Some people with significant control appear as Other individual, with no further detail. Director email lookups are not included.
How this list is filtered
- 5 or more staff, from filed headcount or our estimate where none is filed.
- Registered office in the North West.
How this list is built
The Approach Score ranks firms mainly on public Companies House information about owner tenure and age, ownership, size, financial strength and recent register changes.
Firms with higher scores appear first in each list.
Use the ranking to order research, then check each business directly.
What it does not mean
No firm here is for sale, and the score says nothing about any owner's plans.
At least 95% of the firms where we hold directors had them checked in or after November 2026.
What we do not cover
Regulatory information is not included in this list. Buyers should check the relevant register as part of their due diligence. Use the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Find a Vet service to check professional registration and any voluntary Practice Standards Scheme accreditation.
Why age bands but no people's names
Age bands come from the month and year of birth on Companies House. This page shows no exact ages and no people's names. Both come with the purchased list. The band edges from 45 to 65 are the ages where the score changes. A row shows no age bands when a director's surname is in the firm's name, its group's name or its website. Those directors' ages still count towards the score.
Is this your firm?
You can ask us to take it off every acquisition page, and out of every list we sell after that. Give us your name and work email, and we send you a link to confirm. If your email address is on the firm's own website domain, the firm comes off once you confirm. If it is not, a person reviews your request first. A list already sold stays with its buyer.
To have personal data erased, see our privacy policy.
Other areas
Related sectors
The standard Firmbase list
Buy the list of all 490 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.