Tele-vet ZumVet shuts down without notice; pet owners were charged for subscriptions
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When ST went to the ZumVet clinic at 416 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 on Dec 16, there was a "For rent" sign on the door and the place had been cleared out.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Follow topic:
- ZumVet, a veterinary telemedicine start-up, abruptly shut down its website and social media, leaving pet owners unable to cancel subscriptions.
- Pet owners were charged monthly fees, some as high as $300, despite the shutdown, with no response from ZumVet.
- Police investigations are ongoing, and CASE has received complaints. AVS advises caution when choosing online veterinary services.
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SINGAPORE – Veterinary clinic and telemedicine provider ZumVet has shut down, raising hackles among pet owners, some of whom had to cancel their credit cards to stop subscription charges.
They told The Straits Times that their monthly subscriptions ranged from about $6 to $300.
Several pet owners tried to contact ZumVet to cancel their payments, but to no avail.
Dog owner Ron Lin tried to cancel his subscription in September. “The website was perpetually down, and then I got charged ($110) because of that,” he told ST.
Another client said she first noticed comments posted in September by pet owners, mainly on ZumVet’s Instagram platform.
“They had ordered items that were not delivered. Some were unable to get in touch with ZumVet, and had been trying to log in to the ZumVet website, only to receive a message that ‘user pool not found’,” said the 42-year-old, who declined to give her name.
“I checked the site multiple times and it was completely down. Like me, many were still being charged for memberships until they cancelled their credit cards.”
Some found the clinic shut when they dropped by with their pets for annual health checks and vaccination.
When the ST team went to the clinic at Block 416 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 on Dec 16, it had been cleared out, with a “For rent” sign on its door.
However, a check with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) found that the status of ZumVet is still “live”, which means the business entity is currently in existence based on ACRA’s records.
ST understands that several police reports have been lodged, and the police said investigations are ongoing.
A check with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) found that as at Dec 4, it had received one consumer complaint involving the closure of ZumVet.
“The consumer had ordered products from ZumVet online but did not receive them despite repeated follow-ups with the business. CASE has advised the affected consumer on his recourse options,” its spokesperson told ST.
ST understands that a 15-minute video call consultation with ZumVet cost $35, while a house call was at least $125, excluding medication. An in-clinic consultation was priced at $49 or more, depending on the services required and the time of the appointment.
ZumVet was founded in 2019 by former Doctor Anywhere chief executive officer Athena Lee and aesthetic doctor Grace Su after a seven-figure seed round.
In August 2022, The Business Times reported that ZumVet had raised US$3.7 million (S$4.8 million) in Series A funding led by Quest Ventures and existing investor Pine Venture Partners.
Series A funding is the first round of institutional fund raising for a start-up after proving market viability and gaining early traction at the seed stage.
However, a spokesman for Quest Ventures told ST on Dec 4 that it had divested its stake in ZumVet in 2024 and is therefore “no longer privy to its operations”.
Some clients found ZumVet shut when they dropped by the clinic with their pets for annual health checks and vaccination.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Pine Venture Partners did not respond to queries from ST.
Ms Lee told The Business Times in 2022 that over 30 veterinarians were registered on the ZumVet platform, with eight considered “very active” and taking over 10 cases per week.
In a recent interview with Lianhe Zaobao in March 2025, Ms Lee said the platform had partnered with 90 online veterinarians and had 9,000 monthly active users.
She added that she planned to further elevate overall veterinary standards and pet care culture through subscription services and deeper collaborations with industry partners.
In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao in March, Ms Athena Lee said the ZumVet platform had partnered with 90 online veterinarians and had 9,000 monthly active users.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
When contacted, a few veterinarians who were initially listed on the ZumVet website told ST that they had left between 2020 and 2022.
Veterinarians and veterinary clinics are licensed by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of the National Parks Board. AVS assesses all complaints regarding veterinary professional conduct, including seeking private veterinary input where needed.
Dr Charlene Fernandez, AVS’ group director of professional and scientific services, said it is aware of “the closure of a local online veterinary dispensary, or e-veterinary dispensary”.
“AVS has put in place guidelines for the provision of such services by operators, so as to safely supply and deliver veterinary medications to pet owners. This would then safeguard animal health and welfare,” said Dr Fernandez.
“Potential customers should exercise caution and conduct their due diligence checks and assessment of the services and products for their needs... (They) should always approach licensed veterinarians for advice on pet healthcare.”
Attempts to reach both Ms Lee and Dr Su were unsuccessful.
