Small Door Veterinary Appoints First Chief Operating Officer, Kristen Lombardi, to Drive Expansion Amid Record Growth and Profitability

Executive Leadership Team Bolstered as Member-Based Vet Care Provider Reaches Into New Markets

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Small Door Veterinary, the pioneering membership-based veterinary care provider, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kristen Lombardi as its first-ever Chief Operating Officer (COO). This milestone comes after co-founder Florent Peyre transitioned from President to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder Josh Guttman moved to Chairman, marking a period of renewed focus on profitability, operational excellence, and best-in-class performance. Following a record year of growth, with all Small Door locations in New York City, Boston and the Washington DC area now fully profitable, the company is poised to resume unit expansion at scale.

Lombardi brings deep expertise in veterinary operations and a proven track record in high-growth, de novo expansion—a rare and powerful combination essential for scaling Small Door’s differentiated model. She joins the company after playing a foundational role in the success of Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG), where she helped grow the company from a single clinic with 13 employees to 100 clinics and 5,500 team members nationwide. As VEG’s original COO, she worked alongside the company’s co-founders to establish its early operational playbook before later taking on full leadership of practice operations, driving VEG’s expansion into a market leader.

"Since stepping into the CEO role last year, our focus has been on strengthening our foundation—achieving profitability, scaling operational excellence, and setting new industry benchmarks,” said Florent Peyre, Co-Founder & CEO of Small Door Veterinary. “As we prepare to accelerate unit growth, we need a leader with deep veterinary expertise and a proven ability to scale at the highest level, while still preserving the heart of what makes Small Door special: an unwavering commitment to vets, pets, and pet parents. Kristen’s track record—helping build VEG from the ground up and advising hundreds of practices—makes her the perfect fit to lead this next phase, ensuring we scale thoughtfully, without compromising the exceptional care and culture we’ve built."

Small Door Veterinary continues to grow rapidly, with its human-centered, membership-based model setting a new standard in veterinary care. With Lombardi’s leadership, the company is poised for strategic expansion, bringing its innovative, high-quality approach to more communities nationwide.

Beyond her time at VEG, Lombardi has served as a veterinary management consultant, advising more than 200 clinics nationwide on operations, financial strategy, and leadership development. Her ability to empower local teams while ensuring operational consistency will be instrumental as Small Door scales.

"I’ve spent my career building and scaling veterinary organizations, and I couldn’t be more excited to join Small Door at such a transformational time," said Kristen Lombardi. "Small Door’s membership model is redefining veterinary care, and the company has done the hard work of proving its model, achieving profitability, and setting new industry standards. I look forward to working with the team to bring this vision to more pet parents, veterinarians, and hospitals nationwide."

Lombardi will officially assume her role on March 31, 2025, and will begin meeting with teams across Small Door’s practices in the coming weeks to immerse herself in the company’s operations and culture.

About Small Door
Small Door is a new kind of veterinary practice that’s creating a better experience for pets, pet parents, and veterinarians. Pets receive gold-standard medical care through a reimagined experience that includes spaces designed to be stress-free and a 24/7 telehealth team; pet parents enjoy technology-powered convenience and partnership in their pets’ care decisions; and veterinarians and medical staff get the compensation, benefits, and support they deserve. To further lower barriers to care, Small Door offers a membership option that includes discounted exams and 24/7 telehealth for peace of mind. Currently operating in New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C., Small Door is a Certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation. Most of its practices are AAHA-accredited. Visit https://www.smalldoorvet.com/ or https://www.instagram.com/smalldoorvet/ on Instagram to learn more.