Veterinary Telemedicine Company Dutch Appoints Dr. Kate Elden as Chief Medical Officer and Michael Parness as Chief Marketing Officer

The Strategic Executive Hires Will Strengthen Dutch’s Brand, Clinical Leadership, and Mission to Expand Access to High-Quality Veterinary Care Nationwide

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dutch, the leading veterinary telehealth platform, today announced the appointments of Dr. Kate Elden, DVM, as Chief Medical Officer and Michael Parness as Chief Marketing Officer. The executive hires underscore Dutch’s next phase of growth as the company scales its brand and continues advocating for the future of veterinary telemedicine.

As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Elden will oversee Dutch’s clinical strategy, including scaling its affiliated veterinarian network, advocating for veterinary telehealth access with lobbying efforts, and continuing to build on the high quality of Dutch veterinarians through specialized training. Prior to joining Dutch, Dr. Elden served as the Medical Director of Veterinary Telemedicine at Companion Pet Partners, where she helped to launch their telehealth program across multiple hospitals. In addition to being a veterinary leader, medical director, and advocate for the evolving future of veterinary medicine, Dr. Elden is driven by a commitment to veterinarians themselves: supporting their well-being, improving workflows, expanding access to care, and developing the next generation of veterinary leaders.

“At Dutch, we’re building a future where telehealth makes veterinary care a smoother, more accessible process for both pet parents and veterinarians,” said Dr. Elden. “At Dutch, we have a rare opportunity to expand access to high-quality care while also supporting veterinarians with better tools, training, and sustainable ways to practice. I’m excited to help build a clinical model that raises the bar for care and ensures more pets get the support they need, when they need it.”

As Chief Marketing Officer, Parness will lead Dutch’s brand and growth strategy, focusing on increasing awareness and deepening engagement across channels. He brings over two decades of experience leading transformative brand, retail, and e-commerce initiatives across consumer categories. Most recently, Parness served as Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager at BARK, where he led a high-performing cross-functional team across a multi-brand portfolio in the U.S. and Europe.

“Dutch is building one of the most trusted and progressive platforms in veterinary care,” said Parness. “As the company enters its next phase of growth, I’m excited to help amplify that story and bring Dutch’s mission and values to even more pet parents in meaningful, authentic ways.”

“These hires reflect the evolution of Dutch as we build a category-defining brand and clinical platform,” said Joe Spector, Founder and CEO of Dutch. “Dr. Elden brings deep clinical knowledge, leadership, and a passion for helping animals, while Michael brings decades of experience building and scaling global consumer brands. Together, they strengthen our ability to continue to help vets, pets and pet parents at scale.”

This announcement follows a period of explosive growth for Dutch. The company has consistently doubled its revenue year over year for the past three years, and after switching to annual-only memberships in 2025, has effectively doubled its retention rates. Since its launch in 2021, Dutch has serviced over 700,000 telehealth vet interactions across the U.S., and is continuing to expand its reach, bolstered by these new executive hires.

About Dutch:

Launched in July 2021, Dutch is the first and only veterinary telehealth company connecting licensed, independent veterinarians directly with pets and their parents nationwide. At its inception, Dutch primarily addressed common chronic ailments, such as anxiety and allergies. Now with over 700,000 telehealth vet interactions since launching, it has expanded to treat more than 150 conditions. In 2022, Dutch introduced Rx services, which allow the company’s licensed veterinarians to prescribe and ship OTC and prescription medications to patients across the U.S. Dutch memberships, excluding insurance, begin at just $15/month, and include unlimited access to virtual veterinary care through video and chat models. In a country experiencing a critical vet shortage of just one veterinarian for every 6,000 pet households, Dutch is creating a more accessible means of dependable, quality vet care that can address the modern pet parents’ needs in a timely manner and at a fraction of the cost.