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Bred by Animal Lovers

Independent Vet was founded by Adam Clune and Ilana Borsje - animal lovers, parents, and partners in both life and business.

Together, they run the digital agency DeCODE Digital, but their real passion lies with the animals they’ve cared for over the years. Their personal journey through veterinary care revealed some uncomfortable truths about the changing landscape of the industry in Australia.

cats and dogs, sitting together isolated on white

A Personal Journey That Sparked a Mission

As devoted pet owners, Adam and Ilana have been through their share of vet visits - the joyful puppy check-ups, the routine vaccinations, and the harder moments of illness and end-of-life care. Along the way, they noticed a shift.
Independent vets often provided what they valued most:

Compassionate, personal attention where they felt heard.
Pragmatic treatment decisions, balancing medical outcomes with the pet’s wellbeing.
Reasonable costs, without pressure to pursue every test available.

By contrast, in larger corporate-owned clinics, they often felt like they were on the receiving end of “do everything you can” medicine - with costly imaging, procedures, and tests pushed forward even when the benefit to the pet was unclear. Bills of $1,000 or more for relatively common issues were no longer unusual.

Researching the Industry

Their experiences drove them to dig deeper. What they discovered is that this wasn’t just bad luck - it reflected bigger structural changes.

Over the past decade, corporate groups and private equity firms have been buying up independent vet practices across Australia. With consolidation has come higher expectations for revenue, increased investment in expensive on-site equipment, and a more aggressive approach to recommending treatments.

For pet owners, this can mean:

Higher bills

To cover capital investment in things like MRI and CT scanners (often costing thousands per scan).

Less choice

As once-independent clinics are absorbed into corporate groups with uniform policies.

Pressure to spend

With guilt often used as a lever: if you really love your pet, you’ll pay.

At the same time, the rise of pet insurance has further complicated the picture. While insurance can protect families from catastrophic costs, it also fuels a system where more and more advanced (and expensive) procedures are normalised - sometimes beyond what’s truly in the pet’s best interests.

Why Independent Vets Matter

Adam and Ilana’s research, paired with their personal experiences, reinforced what they already felt: independent vets are different. These practices are typically run by people who live in the community they serve. They focus less on meeting corporate targets and more on long-term relationships with pets and their families.

An independent vet is more likely to say: “Let’s wait and see how your dog recovers over the next 24 hours,” instead of recommending immediate imaging or hospitalisation. They’re more inclined to consider quality of life alongside medical possibility.

Our Mission

Adam and Ilana launched Independent Vet to make it easier for pet owners to find these trusted local clinics. Their goal is to:

Highlight independent vets and the difference they make.
Educate pet owners on the forces shaping veterinary care today.
Empower families to make decisions that prioritise their pets’ wellbeing without feeling pressured into unnecessary costs.

This project is not about criticising vets - the profession is full of compassionate, dedicated people. It’s about acknowledging the pressures the industry is under and helping pet owners navigate those realities with knowledge and confidence.

A Note from Adam and Ilana

“We started Independent Vet because we’ve been there - sitting in the consult room, worried about our pets, feeling overwhelmed by choices and costs. We believe families deserve options, and that starts with knowing which clinics are still truly independent. For us, this site is about protecting the care model that gave our pets the best lives possible.”

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