Where They’re Loved Like Family and Treated Like Gold.
“He thinks the designer rug is a napkin. We think he’s the centre of the universe.”
Our ambition: 100+ veterinary clinics across the GCC within five years.
There is a bond that exists between a person and their pet that is unlike almost any other. It is unconditional. It is daily. It fills your home and your heart in equal measure. And for a generation of pet parents across the UAE, that bond has become the most important relationship in their lives.
Yet the veterinary industry in this region has not kept pace with that love. It remains fragmented, transactional, and, at its worst, cold. Pet parents are searching for a brand that sees what they see, feels what they feel, and earns their trust every single day. That brand does not yet exist.
Until now. Paws & Co is being built from the ground up to fill that gap, not just in the market, but in the heart. A subscription-first, technology-enabled veterinary chain that combines world-class clinical care with the warmth, transparency, and community that this generation demands. We are not an iteration on what already exists. We are its replacement.
Founded by the team behind GymNation, the Middle East’s most successful homegrown gym operator, Paws & Co brings the operational infrastructure, technology, and regional relationships of a business that has already scaled to 50+ locations and 200,000+ members, applied to a category that is ready to be disrupted. Our goal is simple and ambitious in equal measure: to become the most trusted, most loved, and most talked-about pet care brand in the UAE and GCC.
Subscription-First
Members, not transactions. Predictable care, predictable revenue, and a relationship built for life.
Technology-Enabled
Powered by the in-house tech team behind GymNation’s award-winning platform. App-driven, data-led, and built to scale.
Experiential Clinics
Designed to feel more like a five-star pet hotel than a clinical facility, warm, welcoming, and unlike anything seen in the region.
Community-Led & Wellbeing-Led
A Vet Wellbeing Programme that protects our people. A brand with a conscience, not just a commercial model. A promise to do better, protecting and speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves. We champion a team approach to animal welfare, welcoming influencers, rescuers, and advocates alike. Inclusivity is one of our key USPs.
“We’ve already built the region’s most successful gym brand. Now we’re doing it again, with four legs.”
We are not just filling a gap in the market,
we’re filling a gap in the heart
The primary driver of this opportunity is a generational shift. Millennials and Gen Z, now the UAE’s dominant consumer groups, are choosing to have children later, or not at all. In their place, pets have taken on a role of profound emotional significance.
These are not hobbyist pet owners. These are people whose animals are their family, their companions, the first face they see in the morning and the last at night.
This generation is digitally native, values-driven, and deeply sceptical of transactional brands. They are not looking for a vet. They are looking for a partner who shares their values and earns their trust through actions, not advertising. Critically, they are brand-loyal, but only to brands that deserve it.
From vet loyalty to brand loyalty. Today, pet loyalty in the UAE belongs to the individual vet, not the business. If that vet leaves, the client follows. Paws & Co is designed to shift that dynamic fundamentally.
By building trust into the system itself through premium experiences, transparent pricing, a companion app, a community feel, and a care continuity that never wavers, we transfer loyalty from the person to the brand. That is what makes Paws & Co not just a better vet business, but a genuinely scalable one.
Most brands want to be biggest. We want to be the one that gets tails wagging.
The UAE pet care market is at an inflection point. The cultural, commercial, and consumer forces creating this moment are structural, not cyclical. The window is open. But it will not stay open for long.
The Pet Parent Revolution.
Pets are no longer property; they are family. 63% of UAE pet owners now call themselves pet parents, a global movement that is accelerating fastest in the GCC. Millennial and Gen Z pet owners are emotionally invested, digitally native, and deeply sceptical of brands that fail to return their value.
A Category in Crisis, and an Opportunity.
The UAE veterinary market is split between two extremes: generic multi-site operators, that have scale but no emotional connection, and beloved one-person boutiques that have soul but cannot scale. The result is what we call the James Herriot problem: for a century, trust in this category has been built around a single vet’s personality. It is a business model that works at a boutique. It fails entirely at scale. No brand has cracked the code. Until now.
The One Health Moment.
The regulatory environment is moving in our favour. The UAE’s adoption of the One Health framework post-COP28 formally links animal welfare to national health and sustainability policy. Abu Dhabi’s Agriculture and Food Safety Authority has tightened veterinary licensing standards, signalling a shift towards quality-first operators and expanded pet registration and microchipping requirements. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Lifestyle pillar is accelerating pet-friendly infrastructure across Riyadh and Jeddah. Qatar and Bahrain have introduced or updated animal welfare legislation. Across the GCC, governments are treating animal welfare as a policy priority, not an afterthought. Paws & Co is positioned at the centre of that shift.
Paws & Co has replaced the hero with a system. Rather than building trust around a single vet’s personality, we have engineered trust into every touchpoint of the brand: the subscription, the app, the community fund, the vet wellbeing programme. The result is a model where trust is structural. And the system scales. This is our strategic advantage, and it is one that no other operator in this market has yet come close to achieving.
The GCC pet care market is valued at an estimated $1.5 billion and growing at 8.6% annually (Industry estimates, 2024).
The UAE pet population has nearly doubled since 2018, now exceeding 1.5 million animals (Euromonitor, 2024).
The MENA veterinary services market is growing at a 9% CAGR, outpacing the global average (Mordor Intelligence, 2024).
The UAE has fewer than 400 registered veterinary clinics serving 1.5 million pets. That is roughly 1 clinic per 3,500 animals, compared to 1 per 450 in mature markets.
Pet insurance penetration in the UAE sits below 5%, compared to 25-30% in mature markets. The upside is enormous.
76% of UAE pet owners now identify their pets as family members (YouGov Middle East, 2023).
To give pet parents peace of mind, so they can enjoy the love without the worry. We are not building a single clinic, we are building the category
Our goal isn’t to be the largest corporate vet brand in the GCC. It’s to be the most loved.
To build and operate a network of veterinary clinics that set a new standard for animal care and client experience in the UAE and wider region, delivering world-class clinical excellence with a warmth, transparency, and consistency that the category has never seen.
To become the dominant, scaled veterinary brand across the GCC within five years, exceeding the expansion model that took GymNation from one location in Al Quoz to 50+ sites across three countries.
Phase 1. UAE Launch
Initial clinics in high-density, high-visibility locations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Prove the model. Establish the brand.
Phase 2. UAE Scale
Rapid expansion across Sharjah, Ajman and the Northern Emirates using the proven operational blueprint.
Phase 3. GCC Expansion
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. Leveraging existing regulatory relationships and company formation, already in progress.
“Most vets build spreadsheets. We build relationships that have four legs.”
Generic operators or unscaleable boutiques
Emotional warmth delivered at commercial scale
Opaque pricing, hidden fees, transactional care
Transparent membership pricing, no hidden costs, ever
No technology infrastructure
Award-winning proprietary app and full platform from Day 1
Trust depends on the individual vet
Trust built into the system, consistent at every clinic
No community commitment
Community Fund & Vet Wellbeing Programme, structural commitments, not campaigns
We are a new kind of veterinary brand unlike anything the market has seen, merging world-class medicine with a soul. It’s a feeling that scales.
The veterinary category has been trapped for a century in what we call the ‘James Herriot model’, trust built around a single, heroic personality.
Beloved boutiques. Impossible to scale. Every corporate chain that has tried to replicate it has been left feeling hollow and soulless.
Paws & Co has cracked the code. We have replaced the hero with a system.
A system so warm, so consistent, and so human that the trust is structural, built into every touchpoint, not dependent on any single person.
We are building a brand where live is the system
“They’ve built global empires. But they still can’t move if the cat is on their lap.”
Backed by serial entrepreneurs with the track record to lead and the heart to care.
The Middle East’s leading homegrown gym operator with locations across UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and four further GCC markets.
GymNation provides Paws & Co with full access to its infrastructure, technology platform, operational expertise and regional relationships, from Day 1.
GymNation doubled its business in 2024 alone and completed a successful management buyout in 2023.
Paws & Co launches with the backing of investors who have already demonstrated the capacity and conviction to fund, build, and scale high-growth businesses across the GCC.
This is not a start-up seeking its first cheque. It is a proven team deploying proven capital behind a proven model in a new category.
Backed by investors who build brands, not just fund them.
GymNation created market dominance within three years, becoming the number one gym operator in the UAE. After five years, we were four times the size of the second largest player in the market. A true market disruptor.
We successfully expanded into Saudi Arabia, growing to 20+ sites within two years to become the second largest operator in the KSA market. We recently opened in Bahrain with two sites and will soon be operational in Qatar and Kuwait.
Now we are looking to replicate this success in veterinary care.
GymNation disrupted and democratised the fitness sector in the UAE, making gym membership affordable and accessible to everyone. It is widely recognised as one of the UAE’s biggest entrepreneurial success stories of the last decade. The same playbook, operational excellence, technology, and laser focus on the member experience, is now being applied to veterinary care.
The Management Team
The wider leadership team brings together expertise across technology, data science, property acquisition, finance, marketing, and government relations, deployed from Day 1.
Paws & Co is led by a founding management team with a proven track record of building scalable, technology-enabled businesses in high-growth, underserved markets across the GCC.
Johnathan Rowlands
A seasoned operator with deep experience in scaling consumer businesses across the GCC. Proven track record in multi-site expansion, commercial strategy, and investor relations for one of the region’s most recognised consumer brands.
Brings a rare combination of private equity rigour and operational execution.
Maria Shorpariz
An operational leader with hands-on experience managing multi-site businesses across multiple markets. Expert in scaling clinical processes, and the operational playbook that allows businesses to scale without losing quality or consistency.
Has personally overseen the build-out and launch of numerous flagship locations.
Jenny Smith
A highly experienced veterinary professional with a distinguished clinical career across the UAE and UK. A recognised leader with expertise in veterinary practice management, clinical governance, and the standards and protocols that will underpin every Paws & Co clinic.
Passionate about elevating the profession and the welfare of both animals and the veterinary teams who care for them.
A pet knows when it arrives at a vet. We’re building a reason to get out.
“We designed our clinics to feel like the most loved pet hotel in the world, because that’s exactly what they are.”
A partnership, not a transaction. Inspiring spaces where you feel you learn something new every visit, not where you feel like you’re in a hospital. A retail environment showcasing carefully curated nutrition, supplements, and pet care products, premium, trusted and integrated into the clinic experience.
A dedicated Farewell Suite, because the hardest moment deserves the most care. Every Paws & Co clinic will include a purpose-designed private Farewell Suite for end-of-life care. This is not a clinical room with a stainless steel table. It is a carefully considered, emotionally designed space, soft lighting, natural materials, comfortable seating, and total privacy.
A space where saying goodbye to a beloved companion feels as peaceful, dignified, and loving as the life you shared together. In an industry that has never thought carefully about the worst moment its clients will ever face, this is our most human statement. We will not leave you alone in a cold corridor at the hardest moment of your life.
Beyond the physical space, we are committed to closing the loop with every family who faces this moment. Following a scheduled conversation to discuss the process and next steps, our in-house therapist reaches out to offer one-to-one virtual sessions focused on coping and grief support. We do not consider the death of a beloved animal a closed chapter until the family tells us they are ready. We will be there for them for as long as they need.
Every clinic will meet a defined Paws & Co design standard, ensuring that walking into any location in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh, delivers the same exceptional experience. This is the GymNation consistency model applied to veterinary care.
The unique business model
Our model ensures we are here for the patient, not just for the sale.
Paws & Co follows the same subscription-first, recurring revenue model that powers GymNation, adapted and purpose-built for veterinary care. The model is designed to replace the anxiety of unpredictable bills with the calm of a long-term, transparent relationship.
All memberships are monthly rolling, no long-term contracts. Transparent, fair, and designed to build trust from Day 1.
Our subscription model is built on predictable, recurring monthly revenue, the bedrock of the Paws&Co business model.
Essential
Preventative care: annual vaccinations, routine consultations, wellness checks, all included in a monthly fee.
Premium
All essential benefits plus dental care, diagnostics, advanced health monitoring, and priority booking and telemedicine.
Elite
All premium benefits plus specialist referrals, extended care plans, and exclusive app features.
The Paws&Co Advantage
“Most startups begin from scratch. We start with 200,000 belly rub experts”
Paws & Co does not launch from zero. It launches with the full operational infrastructure, technology platform, and regional expertise of a business that has already scaled to 50+ locations and 200,000+ members across the GCC.
That is not a claim about knowing pet parents. It is a claim about knowing how to build, scale, and operate a consumer brand in this region better than anyone.
Real Estate & Property Expertise
Dedicated property acquisition team with proven site-selection methodology.
Established landlord, developer and agent relationships across UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
Track record of expanding at pace, including opportunistic acquisitions at scale.
Technology & Automation
In-house development team, the same behind GymNation’s award-winning platform.
AI-powered voice agents, Z-000 customer call/follow-up, under 10-second lead response.
Machine learning churn prediction: 87% accuracy at GymNation. Ready to deploy for Paws & Co.
Salesforce CRM, marketing automation, real-time Tableau analytics, all operational from Day 1.
Back Office & Operations
Established finance, HR, legal, and compliance functions across multiple GCC jurisdictions.
Proven subscription billing and recurring revenue management at scale.
Centralised procurement and vendor relationships built for multi-site operations.
Government & Regulatory Relationships
Years of experience navigating UAE authority approvals, licensing, and regulatory compliance.
Established relationships across multiple emirates and GCC countries.
Company formations already completed in multiple GCC jurisdictions.
Funding & Investment
Proven track record of raising capital to support fast-paced rollout across the GCC, including Saudi Arabia.
Proven ability to raise capital, including US$24M in private credit for GymNation’s Saudi expansion.
Track record of deploying capital efficiently across a rapid multi-site rollout.
Walk-in & Secondary Services
Revenue from consultations, grooming, boarding, and adjacent services within the Paws & Co ecosystem, including in-clinic retail.
Retail & Pharmacy
Revenue from curated, premium pet nutrition, wellness products, and prescription medications.
Predictable Revenue
Lead category growth through brand trust and franchise-ready commercial models.
“Like a goldfish that does the dishes, ours is a rare breed business.”
The Subscription: Preventive Care as a Quiet Revolution
In the UAE, where less than 5% of pet owners have pet insurance, our subscription is a radical act of accessibility, transparency, and trust. It replaces the anxiety of unpredictable vet bills with the calm of a membership that covers everything your pet needs, from reactive crisis to proactive, preventive care. It is the economic model that makes our promise of trust tangible and real.
The Community Give-Back
% of revenue. % of employee time. % of product. This is the Paws & Co Community Fund, a formal, unwavering commitment to the animal welfare community. Structured to support both high-cost rescue interventions and grassroots organisations, with a deliberate focus on broad impact, not just the most expensive cases. Employees are supported in contributing to charitable causes through dedicated paid time, not on top of their hours. Not charity.
Our thank you to a community that has been doing this work, largely unseen, for decades. A commitment, not a campaign.
The Vet Wellbeing Program
Veterinarians are in crisis. They are four times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, twice as likely as other medical professionals. The very compassion that defines their work is a recognised occupational hazard.
Paws & Co will be the first veterinary brand in the region to publicly address this. We are launching the UAE’s first structured vet mental health programme, including confidential support, structured debriefs, and a clinical autonomy charter that guarantees our vets will never be pressured to choose revenue over their clinical integrity. We also commit to above-market compensation and equity participation for our veterinary team.
The App: A caring companion, not a guilty conscience
The Paws & Co app is a quiet friend in your pocket. It knows your pet’s name. It celebrates their birthdays. It offers gentle reminders and honest advice. Booking, health records, vaccination tracking, telemedicine, care plans, all in one place. Built by the same in-house team at GymNation, already making gym-goers’ lives easier.
Designed to be a source of confidence, not anxiety. A companion for those who want it, a resource when they need it, designed to be as easy and quick as it is comprehensive, built for the busy pet parent.
We’ve combined the four pillars of pet care into a business that simply cannot be replicated.
In a sea of sameness, brands are not remembered for their mission statements. They are remembered for the specific, tangible, and uniquely human things they do. These are ours.
It isn’t bought, it’s earned. We’re building the most believed-in vet brand in the region.
“In a world where trust is no longer built through advertising but through advocacy and action, Paws & Co has a fundamentally different marketing philosophy. We will not buy attention. We will earn it.”
Paws & Co. Where They’re Loved Like Family, and Treated Like Gold. As everything.
Empathy
We lead with our hearts, always.
Transparency
We say what we mean and charge what we say.
Courage
We do the right thing, even when it costs us.
Rigour
We serve a compassion we call clinical excellence.
Community
We are nothing without each other.
Lead with humanity, not features
Every piece of communication is written from the perspective of the trust that already exists between a pet parent and their animal, not from the brand’s commercial agenda.
The Founding Pet Parent Circle
Before launch, we are assembling a hand-picked council of the most authentic, influential pet parents in the UAE, not influencers for hire, but genuine partners who help shape the brand and create content that is credible because the relationship is real.
The Courage to Care campaign
We lead with the Vet Wellbeing Programme story. Positioning Paws & Co not as a new business but as a new standard. An act of leadership that earns media, respect, and the trust of every vet we will ever employ.
Community-first marketing
Every campaign, every piece of content, every activation is designed to give to the community before asking anything in return.
Warm. Devoted. Human. Brave. Authentic. Principled. Meticulous... the brand personality in seven words.
Veterinary Clinic Unique Services
Beyond the experience, Paws & Co is equipping its clinics with the services, technology and capabilities that the UAE market has never had access to at scale, and never in one place, under one brand, at this level of consistency.
Clear out-of-hours protocols are in place for emergency situations, including defined referral pathways and a dedicated on-call vet network, so members always know exactly what to do and who to call.
Round-the-clock veterinary support, via telemedicine for after-hours queries and emergency consultations, and through a network of clinics with extended operating hours.
A dedicated on-call team available to members at any hour, ensuring no pet parent is ever left alone in a crisis.
Monthly memberships covering routine care, vaccinations, wellness checks, and dental health, making gold-standard preventive care affordable and predictable.
Members receive priority booking, dedicated care coordinators, and personalised care plans managed via the Paws & Co app.
In-house digital radiography (DR) and computed tomography (CT) imaging, reducing referral times and delivering faster diagnoses.
Advanced ultrasound and echocardiography capabilities for comprehensive cardiovascular and soft tissue assessment.
In-clinic laboratory with rapid haematology, biochemistry, urinalysis, and pathology, results available in minutes, not days, and images in real time on screen to both the owner and the vet simultaneously. No more printing pages of results. No more waiting.
Laser therapy and regenerative medicine including PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy for orthopaedic and post-surgical recovery.
Laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgical capabilities, reducing recovery times and improving clinical outcomes.
Dermatology, cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics, ophthalmology. Specialist care typically requiring referral now available in-clinic.
Dedicated dental suite with digital dental radiography, oral health as a core part of the preventive care offer.
Nutritional consultation clinics, personalised dietary plans integrated with the app and subscription model.
Premium Nutrition & Food
Science-backed, veterinary-endorsed brands across raw, fresh, freeze-dried, prescription diets, and premium everyday solutions.
Supplements & Wellness
Joint health, skin & coat, digestive support, calming, stress management, evidence-based nutraceuticals only.
Grooming & Hygiene
Professional-grade grooming products aligned with veterinary recommendations.
Smart Pet Technology
GPS trackers, health monitors, AI-powered feeders, and tools that integrate with our app ecosystem.
Pet Insurance
A strategic insurance partner to complement our subscription model with comprehensive coverage.
Training & Behaviour
Positive reinforcement-led training resources, programmes, and tools.
The Paws & Co retail environment and partner ecosystem is curated with the same care and intent as our clinical offering. We are not open to any brand. We are selective, deliberate, and committed to only partnering with brands that share our values and enhance our member experience.
Partners. Brands we want to be associated with
Every brand that sits on a Paws & Co shelf, or is recommended through our app, must meet our standards: clinically credible, ethically sourced, and genuinely trusted by the most discerning pet parents in the market.
Property Partnerships
We are a high-frequency destination. Pet parents visit us 4x more than their own doctor, making us a rare breed of retail partner.
Paws & Co is actively seeking properties across the UAE for its initial clinic network, with plans to scale rapidly across the GCC. We are the kind of tenant landlords and developers want: premium, committed, high-footfall, and growing fast.
A premium tenant: Backed by the founders of GymNation, long-term leases, award-winning fit-outs, and the commercial rigour of a proven multi-site operator.
Daily footfall: Members, walk-in clients, retail shoppers, and a community of engaged pet parents who return regularly.
Synergistic retail opportunities: Pet shops, grooming studios, pet-friendly cafes, and complementary services that benefit the wider development.
Brand presence: Paws & Co marketing and brand awareness drives footfall not just to the clinic, but to the entire development.
Expansion certainty: We are not a one-site operator. We are planning 20+ locations across the UAE. Property partners who build with us now grow with us.
“His flea treatments in the calendar. Her GP visit is in the ‘I’ll get to it eventually’ pile. That’s the power of Paws & Co.”
Our Retail Wishlist
Larger considered for flagship locations
Suitability for Veterinary Medical Operations
Minimum spaces, free, dedicated parking preferred
High-visibility locations, good signage, street-level presence
Dense residential population or high-volume traffic access
Metres minimum, higher preferred for premium design execution
Ground Floor Strongly Preferred
Retail units, ground-floor commercial, mixed-use, community malls, standalone roadside
Paws & Co represents a rare and significant commercial opportunity for veterinary equipment manufacturers, pharmaceutical distributors, and specialist suppliers.
We are building a scaled, multi-site network with centralised procurement, and we are looking for long-term partners who can grow with us.
Clinical credibility
Products and equipment that meet or exceed international standards and that our veterinary team can recommend with confidence.
Scale capability
The ability to supply consistently across multiple clinic locations, and to grow supply as we expand across the UAE and GCC.
Training and support
Partners who invest in ensuring our team gets the most from every product, including hands-on training and ongoing technical support.
Innovation
We are building for the future. We want partners who are developing the next generation of veterinary technology, not just selling the last.
Shared values
We will not work with suppliers whose practices conflict with our commitment to animal welfare, clinical integrity, or environmental sustainability.
Multi-site rollout with centralised procurement, volume certainty from Day 1
A brand committed to state-of-the-art clinical capability, not cost-cutting on equipment
A marketing partner: the brands we work with benefit from the Paws & Co brand halo and community reach
A long-term partner: we are not seeking the cheapest option, we are seeking the best. And we will pay for it.
Early mover advantage in a market that will scale to GCC-wide within five years
Paws & Co is building more than a veterinary chain. We are building a pet care ecosystem that will touch every part of a pet parent’s life, from the moment they bring an animal home to every health milestone along the way. This requires strategic partners who share our ambition and our values.
Pet Insurance Providers
A strategic insurance partner to complement our subscription model, giving members comprehensive financial protection alongside clinical care.
UAE Government & Regulatory Bodies
Continuing to build the relationships that support responsible scaling, animal welfare advocacy, and the UAE’s One Health agenda.
Animal Rescue & Welfare Organisations
The Community Fund is specifically structured to support rescue organisations. We want formal partnerships with the UAE’s most respected shelters and advocates.
Academic & Research Institutions
Partnering with veterinary schools, conferences, and research bodies to contribute to clinical knowledge, attract the best talent, and raise the profession’s standards.
Hospitality & Real Estate Groups
Integrating Paws & Co into pet-friendly residential and hospitality ecosystems, concierge vet access as a premium amenity.
Corporate Wellness Partners
Bringing Paws & Co into the corporate benefits ecosystem, and pets as part of employee wellbeing programmes.
Lifestyle & Consumer Brands
Partnering with everyday consumer brands: Deliveroo, Careem, yoga studios, restaurants, hotels, and beach clubs, to integrate Paws & Co into the fabric of UAE lifestyle and reach pet parents where they already spend their time.
“We’re building a new kind of brand. It requires a rare breed of partner.”
We’re not looking for suppliers. We’re looking for believers.
We are open to early conversations with any organisation that sees in Paws & Co what we see: an opportunity to be part of something that genuinely matters.
