Dierenartsen Groep Nederland (DGN), which has 26 clinics across 33 sites, is VetPartners’ second Dutch acquisitiony after it bought DierenDokters in February this year.

The deal was supported by private equity firm Standard Investment.

VetPartners was founded in October 2015 by CEO Joe Malone, a small animal vet and director at The Minster Veterinary Practice.

Her business now has 11,000 employees at more than 700 sites across the UK and Europe.

Mrs Malone said: “DGN is a highly respected group of practices and we share common values of putting people first and ensuring our vets have the autonomy to make their own decisions for their patients.

“Right from the outset, the aim of VetPartners was to bring together like-minded practices who wanted to work together and ensure a bright future for the veterinary profession. Our culture is one of warmth and belonging and we believe DGN are a great fit for our family of practices, and we look forward to working with them.”

DGN Chief Operating Officer Mischa Weijers said: “We have joined VetPartners so we can continue our growth and continue to improve veterinary care in our local, well-known clinics that are so familiar to our clients.”