This article is sponsored content brought to you by Dr. Fetch.
A veterinary-led platform supporting smarter first-contact triage
“My dog is breathing strangely.” “My cat suddenly stopped eating.” “My puppy has eaten chocolate.” The owner knows something is wrong, but not whether it is an emergency, a GP appointment, or something that can safely be monitored.
For veterinary teams, these moments are familiar. They often arrive as phone calls to reception, rushed descriptions over the counter, or online bookings with limited context. Owners are anxious and want to do the right thing, but they do not always know which signs matter most, what information to provide, or which type of clinic is best equipped to help.
Dr. Fetch was created to support that critical first step.
Founded by final-year veterinary student and experienced veterinary nurse Valencia Park, alongside a Go-To-Market strategist Iris Verma, Dr. Fetch is a veterinary-led smart triage and navigation platform designed to help pet owners understand what to do next when their pet is unwell or injured.
The idea came from years spent inside veterinary clinics, where Valencia saw the same challenge repeatedly: pet owners often need guidance before they know whether to book, call, wait, or go straight to emergency. At the same time, clinic teams are already stretched, with receptionists, nurses and veterinarians trying to interpret incomplete information while managing appointments, in-hospital patients and staff capacity.
How Dr. Fetch works
Dr. Fetch guides pet owners through a structured symptom assessment before they book or contact a clinic. The platform asks simple, clinically relevant questions about what the owner is noticing, how long it has been happening, and whether any red-risk features are present.
From there, Dr. Fetch helps guide the owner towards an appropriate next step, such as emergency care, urgent review, a general practice appointment, or monitoring advice where suitable. Dr. Fetch then guides pet owners to book with the appropriate clinic in-platform, based on the pet’s triage result. For clinics, the platform can help generate clearer pre-arrival information, giving teams a better understanding of what may be coming through the door. Dr. Fetch integrates with clinics’ practice management software, streamlining both the triage and booking process.
The aim is not to replace veterinary judgement. It is to help owners reach veterinary care sooner, with better information and a clearer pathway.
Why this matters for clinics
For veterinary teams, first-contact triage is not simply an administrative task. It requires calm communication, rapid information gathering and clinical judgement, often under pressure. A more structured first-contact pathway can help reduce repetitive history-taking, improve case direction, and support better matching between patient needs and clinic capability.
For practice managers and clinic owners, Dr. Fetch addresses a growing operational challenge: how to support clients in moments of uncertainty without adding more pressure to already busy front-desk and nursing teams.
Dr. Fetch has already gained early traction with pet owners joining the waitlist, and clinics are now being invited to sign up as early partners. The team was also recognised through the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Business School Startup Competition, receiving second place and the People’s Choice Award for its veterinary-led approach to improving the pet owner journey.
As pet owners increasingly look for immediate, reliable guidance, Dr. Fetch is building a smarter bridge between worried owners and the veterinary teams ready to help them.
For clinics, joining Dr. Fetch is an opportunity to be part of a new first-contact pathway: one that helps owners move from uncertainty to action, while helping veterinary teams receive clearer information, better-matched cases and more prepared clients from the moment they arrive.
