Brookville Veterinary Health’s mission—to partner directly with veterinarians and help independent practices thrive—traces back to Dr. Glassman’s 1982 purchase of Friendship Hospital for Animals. At that time, Friendship’s retiring owner and Dr. Glassman’s mentor, Dr. Harvey Cowan, offered to sell him the three-doctor practice. Dr. Glassman’s vision for a progressive hospital delivering advanced yet compassionate primary, emergency, and specialty care aligned perfectly with Friendship’s longstanding commitment to client service and clinical excellence.

Dr. Cowan personally financed the sale—no guarantor, no covenants—launching Dr. Glassman’s 40-year tenure of ownership. Under his leadership, Friendship grew into one of the nation’s premier companion animal practices, with 65 veterinarians, more than 200 staff, and a reputation for professional excellence that became the envy of the industry.

Unfortunately, that type of transaction—a mentor taking an outsized personal risk to sell to an associate veterinarian—is exceedingly rare in today’s market. The reality is that practice ownership has become increasingly difficult to attain, driven by factors such as student loan burdens, high acquisition prices fueled by competition from corporate buyers, and an ownership landscape that can be complex and daunting to navigate.

Brookville Veterinary Health was founded to help solve this problem, making practice ownership more accessible for independent, entrepreneurial veterinarians. As an independent financial sponsor and operating partner, we work directly with DVMs to identify the ownership path that best fits their goals, and to help turn that path into reality.

We are proud to support and empower the next generation of practice owners, helping keep veterinary care local, personal, and independent.