HELPING PEOPLE & THEIR PETS WHEN THEY NEED IT MOST
VEGgie mission
OUR STORY
As a veterinarian, Dr. David Bessler knew something was wrong with the ER experience. A major piece was missing: the customer's feelings. They were left out in a lobby, kept in the dark about treatment options, and then hit with surprise fees.
hold your horses—something's not right
Enter VEG. Along with VEG co-founder David Glattstein and a dedicated team, Dr. Bessler created the VEG experience, where they put people and pets first. Customers are met at the door and that door is open 24/7, even on holidays. And the staff is trained to treat any emergency—from vomiting to surgery.
working like a dog, but excited as a puppy
If pets could talk, they'd tell you to stay with them. That's why at VEG, our open floor plan lets you see everything and participate in your pet's care. In fact, you can stay with your pet the entire time, even through surgery.
keeping the flock together
Want to hold your pet during treatment? YES! We do whatever it takes to take the scary out of a stressful situation. With your pet more at ease, we can have an open conversation about diagnosis, treatment options, and costs.
welcoming scaredy-cats
DR. DAVID BESSLER
Founder and CEO
DAVID GLATTSTEIN
Co-Founder and President
His intense focus on families made him realize emergency care was broken and wasn’t working for anyone. Dr. Bessler took a holistic view of the ER experience, from start to finish, and from every angle, to make it better. Pets would be treated like people and pet parents like human beings. In 2014, armed with a vision and a dedicated team of like-minded people—the first VEGgies!—he purchased his first VEG hospital. They worked to reinvent the emergency experience. It was in this first hospital that VEG became “not normal,” in a good way! This new experience was fully transparent, with an open floor plan. They created a comfortable setting for pets, even if that meant getting on the floor with them; and kept people and their pets together throughout treatment. Dr. Bessler also defined a positive company culture to make sure VEG would deliver on this revolutionary shift. It was exactly what pet parents and emergency vet professionals wanted, as VEG has the highest NPS in the vet industry.
As a career emergency veterinarian since 2003, Dr. Bessler has a passion for helping people and their pets when they need it most.
His significant experience in investing and helping small businesses grow led him to join forces with Dr. David Bessler in building the world’s veterinary emergency company. From his research and experience, David recognized the veterinary industry lacked any innovation and entrepreneurship. He believed a successful and reimagined veterinary business model required being fully invested in its customers and staff. This meant a full revamp of the customer experience as well as the need to foster a robust team culture. With a better way in sight and a partner in Dr. Bessler, who shares the same vision for vet med, David is building the world’s veterinary emergency company—bringing a revolutionary customer experience to as many people and their pets as possible.
Educated at Emory University with an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, David Glattstein became immersed in the investment world.
