Rising veterinary costs are outpacing inflation across the Upper Valley, forcing pet owners to delay preventive care and driving an influx of surrenders at local animal shelters. Prices for veterinary services have climbed about 54% since 2019, according to consumer price data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, dwarfing the roughly 31% increase for all goods and services over the same period.
Claremont Animal Hospital Launches Monthly Payment Plan
When Chrissy LeBlond took over as manager of Claremont Animal Hospital in August, preventing cost-driven gaps in pet care remained an urgent priority. LeBlond noted a noticeable drop in clients following recommended vaccination and checkup schedules since the pandemic due to financial constraints.
To combat these rising expenses, Claremont Animal Hospital introduced a wellness program in September 2026. The structure allows pet owners to pay a regular monthly fee to cover annual preventive care instead of absorbing expensive tests and medications in a single lump sum during an annual visit. Veterinarian Sarina Hinsley highlighted the benefit of the system while examining patients like Winnie the Pooch at the Claremont, N.H., facility.
Corporate Consolidation and Vendor Increases Drive Up Prices
Providers point to several factors fueling the price surges, including compounding vendor costs and industry consolidation. Keely Doyle, a licensed veterinary nurse and hospital manager at Stoney Brook Veterinary Hospital in Lebanon, observed that some vendors increased prices by as much as 22% this year. Facilities face difficult choices regarding price hikes to maintain staff salaries without compromising care quality.
Corporate acquisitions of veterinary practices have also accelerated. Dr. Deborah Pasho, a veterinarian at the partly corporate-owned Stonecliff Animal Clinic in Lebanon, stated that corporate ownership ties into rising basic care costs as clinics operate under larger entities. Simultaneously, advancements in veterinary medicine have driven up standards, with owners increasingly requesting blood work and treatments comparable to human family medicine.
Upper Valley Humane Society Expands Low-Cost Options
Nonprofits are scrambling to bridge the gap as basic exams and vaccinations become unaffordable for a growing segment of the pet-owning population. RayLynn Bradigan, executive director of the Upper Valley Humane Society in Enfield, emphasized the severity of the financial barrier for basic animal wellness.
In response, the Upper Valley Humane Society is actively working to expand its low-cost veterinary clinic offerings by hiring an additional veterinarian. Meanwhile, local facilities continue to process overflow from financially strained owners. Cheryl Koenig, executive director of the Sullivan County Humane Society in Claremont, reported that the shelter has operated at or near its 50-cat capacity throughout the year.
Shelter operating costs have escalated alongside client needs. The Sullivan County Humane Society paid between $15,000 and $20,000 per month for veterinary care this year, up from about $10,000 a month last year, driven by both inflated service costs and an increase in required medical treatments.
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