Buying pet supplies online from a UK independent, and who actually owns the rest
The catch first, because it’s the whole point: most of the big online pet shops aren’t independent. Pets at Home is a listed company, Jollyes is private-equity owned, and Zooplus, the biggest “independent-looking” online pet shop in the country, has been owned since 2021 by two private equity firms that also own one of the largest vet chains. The genuinely independent routes exist, and they’re smaller, family-run, and often started by a vet. Each one below is checked against who owns it. Last verified 1 September 2026.
Find an independent pet shop near you
The big online pet shops, and who owns them
| Retailer | What it is | Who actually owns it | Independent? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pets at Home | The dominant UK pet retailer, online and in store | Pets at Home Group plc, listed on the London Stock Exchange | ✗ |
| Zooplus | Europe's biggest online pet shop | Hellman & Friedman and EQT, two private equity firms, since a 2021 takeover; EQT also owns the IVC Evidensia vet chain | ✗ |
| Jollyes | Growing pet superstore chain | Private-equity backed | ✗ |
| MedicAnimal | Online pet healthcare retailer | Part of the Kokoba group; changed ownership in 2019 | ✗ (group-owned) |
| VetUK | Online vet medicines and pet supplies | VetUK Ltd, Thirsk, founded and owned by the vet who started it in 2005, self-funded | ✓ |
| Pet Counter | Online pet supplies and prescription products | Family-run, headed by a registered veterinary nurse | ✓ |
| PDSA Pet Store | Vet-approved supplies, online | The PDSA, an animal charity; every purchase funds its work | Charity ✓ |
The twist most lists miss
When people look for an “independent” alternative to Pets at Home, the site most of them land on is Zooplus, because it looks like a scrappy specialist rather than a giant. It isn’t. Zooplus was taken private in 2021 by Hellman & Friedman and EQT, and EQT also owns IVC Evidensia, one of the biggest veterinary chains in the country, so the “independent” pet shop and the corporate vet group increasingly answer to the same owners. The wider UK pet market is consolidating fast, with private equity and the big pet-food conglomerates buying up chains, and a competition regulator currently investigating the vet sector. None of that is on the websites. It’s the thing worth knowing before you assume the friendly-looking pet site is a local business.
The genuinely independent routes
The real independents are smaller and quieter, and several were started by vets or veterinary nurses, which is part of why they exist. VetUK, based in Thirsk in North Yorkshire, was founded in 2005 by a vet who ran it out of his living room and self-funded the whole thing, and it’s still independently owned. Pet Counter is a family-run shop headed by a registered veterinary nurse. And if you’d rather your money did some good, the PDSA Pet Store is run by the animal charity, and every purchase funds free and low-cost veterinary care for pets whose owners can’t afford it. A couple of other long-standing sites, like Pet Planet, have been trading independently for years, but we don’t list a shop as independent unless we can confirm who owns it, so we’ve left ownership-unconfirmed ones off rather than guess.
The best independent route of all
The genuinely local option is the independent pet shop in your own town, the kind run by someone who knows your dog’s name. Plenty do click-and-collect or local delivery now, and they keep the whole margin rather than sending it to a fund. That’s the shop this page is built to help you find, describe what you need and it points you at locally owned shops rather than the obvious online giant.
Where we fit
Highstreett is a search engine for independent shops and the things they sell: describe what you want in your own words and buy it from a locally owned shop rather than a chain. For pets, that means the independent shop near you, not the private-equity site dressed up to look like one.
Find an independent pet shop near you
Questions
Is Zooplus independent?
No. Zooplus is Europe's largest online pet retailer, and since a 2021 takeover it's owned by two private equity firms, Hellman & Friedman and EQT. EQT also owns the IVC Evidensia veterinary chain, so the pet shop and a major vet group share owners.
Is Pets at Home a chain?
Yes. Pets at Home is a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange, with over 450 stores plus its online shop and the Vets for Pets chain. It's the largest pet retailer in the UK, and the opposite of an independent.
Are there any genuinely independent online pet shops in the UK?
Yes, though they're smaller and easy to miss. VetUK, founded and still owned by the vet who started it, and Pet Counter, a family-run shop led by a veterinary nurse, are two, and the PDSA Pet Store sends its profits to an animal charity. The most independent option of all is a local pet shop's own click-and-collect.
What's the best place to buy pet supplies that isn't a chain?
A genuinely independent shop, ideally the one nearest you so your money stays local and you get a real person's advice. Online, VetUK and Pet Counter are independently owned, and PDSA supports a charity. The sites to know about are the big “independent-looking” ones like Zooplus that are actually private-equity owned.