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I mean, I'm not trying to argue the dystopian part, though I do wonder why this specifically is what makes you think it is dystopian.
Mars has been making pet foods for over thirty years. Branching into pet care isn't a huge stretch.
And like... I like both chocolate candies and pets. If I started a company that made both chocolates and cared for pets, why is that aspect dystopian?
It's dystopian because they have a monopoly on pet care and prices are going through the roof. Private equity is basically taking advantage of pet owners because they know you will pay any price to save your animal.
Private equity owns 50% of vets and 75% of emergency clinics across America
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po6muzvQgEk
This is very correct. Zero options in many areas. Most people see animals as actual family.
20 Years ago, people would have laughed at you getting pet insurance. 30 years ago, they would ask why are you worried.
We are now seeing the samething in healthcare. Most places will lose their only independent hospitals with the defunding of medicare and medicaid.
Right, I agree that monopolies and consolidation are bad, I suppose that's just not the emphasis I read in the OP.
Stephen Dubner did an excellent deep dive on the topic if you’re interested in a long-form intro: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-you-trust-private-equity-to-take-care-of-your-dog/
But to TLDR, consolidation like what VCA has been doing generally means less autonomy for workers, higher prices for customers, and worse clinical outcomes.
I don't disagree that consolidation is bad for consumers.
General Mills has made food for a long time, but if they wanted to open a hospital and do surgery on me, I think that would indeed be a huge stretch.
That's not quite the same as what I said but okay.
Chocolate kills dogs, for starters.
Well they're not giving the chocolate to dogs.