A YORK-headquartered group of veterinary practices is expanding further into Europe.

VetPartners, which Jo Malone founded in York in 2015 and now employs more than 6,000 people across nearly 550 UK sites, has acquired its first centre in Germany.

Tierarztpraxis Kelberg, a successful family-owned veterinary practice, has become the vet group’s founding practice in Germany.

VetPartners already has practices in the UK, France and Italy, and is preparing to acquire its first practices in Spain.

It also now includes pet cremation services, an online retailer, a small animal veterinary nursing school, an equine nursing school, laboratories, a research dairy and a locum agency.

Sabinne Bürgener, whose father-in-law Kurt set up the German practice, has become VetPartners’ managing director in Germany and will oversee operations in the country.

In 2020, Focus magazine voted the practice in the Eifel region among the best 200 small animal practices in Germany.

VetPartners' Mrs Malone said: “I am so pleased to see the start of our family of practices growing in Germany.”

She said: “We believe that VetPartners and our practice fit together as we share the same values that have always been very important in our practice, with a culture of support, respect and dedication.

“We are confident that with VetPartners at our side, we can continue to provide our employees with a safe workplace where it is a pleasure to work. Working together gives us the basis to be very committed to the care of our patients and their owners. The fact we can rely on good equipment, the latest technology and continuing education gives us the certainty we will be able to develop our practice further and we look to the future with great confidence.”