The story of VetaPet - from three parcels to an international pet care company
The VetaPet story began with a desire to solve a practical problem: it was not always easy for pet owners to find reliable products suited to their pet’s individual needs.
Through the everyday work of the Kivuton veterinary clinic, we saw first-hand the kinds of questions pet owners faced. We wanted to make a carefully selected range based on veterinary expertise accessible to everyone - regardless of where they lived.
That idea marked the beginning of a journey that has taken us from a small online store in Joensuu to an international pet care company with a team of more than 50 professionals.
From a website to an online store
It all began in 2015 alongside the Kivuton veterinary clinic in Joensuu, Eastern Finland. What started as a regular website gradually developed into an online storewhere pet owners could find carefully selected products based on the needs we encountered in everyday veterinary practice.
The first orders were packed as part of the Eläintohtori Kivuton operations. There was no established logistics centre or large warehouse team. Parcels were transported to the nearby K-Market on a hand trolley, just a few at a time.
Back then, hardly anyone could have imagined how far those first parcels would take us.
Everyone helped wherever they were needed
In the early years, the online store and veterinary clinic worked closely together. When things were quieter at the online store, its employees helped with tasks at the clinic and even handled the clinic’s appointment bookings from the online store.
We built the business flexibly and together. There were not always clear boundaries between different roles - everyone simply took on whatever work needed to be done.
As the online store grew, the situation gradually began to reverse. As order volumes increased, clinic employees would instead come and help during busy periods at the online store. Collaboration and a willingness to help became an important part of our company culture.
Our own company and an independent direction
In 2016, Kivuton Verkkokauppa Oy was established as a separate company.
What had begun alongside the veterinary clinic started to develop into an independent online store serving customers throughout Finland. However, the connection to the original core idea remained strong: our product range should meet the real needs of pets and be built on expert consideration.
At the beginning of 2019, the online store had two employees on its own payroll, along with the CEO. The team was small, so everyone took part in a wide variety of tasks, from processing orders and providing customer service to unloading deliveries and developing the business.
At times, growth moved faster than our resources
From 2019 onwards, order volumes grew rapidly. The COVID-19 pandemic changed consumer purchasing behaviour, accelerated the growth of e-commerce and doubled the scale of our operations.
Demand for human healthcare products in particular increased rapidly. This growth brought new opportunities, but it also put pressure on our staff, facilities and existing ways of working.
We recruited new employees and developed our processes, but at times our growth outpaced our resources. During the busiest periods, we had to make difficult decisions about priorities and dedicate a large share of our resources to making sure customers’ parcels were dispatched.
Growth was not a ready-made or straightforward process. It meant continuously learning, solving problems and developing new ways of working while keeping the day-to-day business running.
Four times more warehouse space
The increase in order volumes also had a very tangible impact on our need for space. Between 2020 and 2024, our warehouse facilities grew to as much as four times their previous size.
We expanded the warehouse, developed our packing area and created more functional workstations for our growing team. Investments were not limited to order processing: we also invested in our employees’ everyday working environment and wellbeing, including a larger and more functional break room.
By 2023, our team had grown to 27 people. What had started as a small online store run by just a few people had become a significant local employer and a growing company in the pet care industry.
Bringing the focus back to pets
During the pandemic years, human healthcare products had become a significant part of our business. Amid this growth, however, we needed to consider what we wanted to focus on in the future.
We decided to discontinue human healthcare products and dedicate our expertise and resources entirely to where it had all begun: pet health and wellbeing.
This strategic decision gave us a clearer direction. It allowed us to build a more consistent product range and develop our services to meet the needs of pet owners even better.
For your and your pet’s wellbeing -> For your pet’s wellbeing
A product range shaped by ten years of experience
Our range has evolved alongside the needs of our customers and their pets. Veterinary diets remain at its core, complemented by products that support areas such as digestive health, skin and coat, oral health and joint wellbeing.
Explore our customers’ all-time favourites
Joining forces with Alvar Pet
In 2024, we joined forces with Alvar Pet, a Finnish pet care company known for its tailored and sustainable diets for dogs.
The merger brought additional expertise, new perspectives and much-needed resources to our operations. At the same time, the company appointed a new CEO, marking the beginning of a new phase in leadership and in building our shared organisation.
The merger enabled us to strengthen our customer service, develop our ways of working and build a more stable foundation for future growth. The expertise of two Finnish pet care companies came together around a shared goal: to promote pet health and a good everyday life.
Pet pharmacy and collaboration with veterinary clinics
In 2025, we launched our pet pharmacy in Finland. It brings together products that support pet health, care and wellbeing in one easy-to-navigate selection.
That same year, we began collaborating with veterinary clinics. The aim is to bring our online retail operations and the veterinary expertise of clinics closer together, while developing our services around the real needs of pets and their owners.
The year 2025 also took us beyond Finland as we expanded into Sweden and the Baltic countries. The story that began in Joensuu had become international.
Kivuton is now VetaPet
In 2026, the Kivuton story continues in Finland under the VetaPet name.
The name is new, but behind it is still the same Finnish-owned online store, the same familiar team and the same original purpose. Our team of more than 50 professionals works in Finland and internationally to help make everyday life better for pets.
A lot has changed since the first three parcels were transported on a hand trolley to the nearby K-Market. One thing, however, has remained the same:
We want to make it as easy as possible for every pet owner to find reliable, expertly selected products.
Continue the story with us
Our first orders were transported just a few parcels at a time. Today, we want to make it easier than ever for you to find the right products for your pet.
