Chief veterinarian Karolina openly shares her journey through mental illness, wrong recruitments, and an industry system in crisis – to today being part of building something completely new.
A story about responsibility, trust and how the right people can change an entire industry – together.
I was about to leave everything.
This is not a text about success.
It's a text about survival. And about why so many of us in animal healthcare eventually lose hope.
I was there.
Close to handing over my ID.
Close to leaving everything I fought for.
We talk too little about mental illness in animal healthcare. About the anxiety. The silence. The exhaustion.
About the culture that has disappeared with the large anonymous company owners and the stress that comes from a leadership that is not present. About everyone who has disappeared from the profession – without a word. I know, because I was one of them. And if something had not changed, I would not be here today.
A vision I could believe in
Then Robert Hållstrand, the founder of VetAtHome, got in touch.
He presented the idea of a new type of service where veterinarians make home visits, I say new but that's actually how veterinarians have historically worked. Robert had been carrying the business idea for over 20 years – after sitting in waiting rooms with up to nine dogs throughout his life.
“This doesn’t come from a boardroom. It comes from the waiting room.”
He spoke not only about what we can do for the animals and their owners, but also for an entire industry that is undergoing a major change.
He asked me above all about myself, how I was doing as a veterinarian. Presenting results to make venture capitalists happy, receiving animal owners' opinions and anger over prices I myself had not set, and at the same time fighting for the animals - speaking for those who cannot speak, regardless of how it affects me personally in the end.
That's when I realized – this wasn't an entrepreneur who had just heard about the industry and wanted to capitalize on it. It was something much bigger.
Understanding animals is something completely different.
Robert also said:
“It’s not enough to think animals are cute. You have to have carried them, comforted them, understood when something is wrong. That understanding has to be there all the way up to leadership.”
Liking animals is one thing. Understanding animals is another.
That was exactly what I felt myself – but never heard so clearly.
I decided: I want to join.
A company with the right people
Susanna Backman, who has been with us since day one, has a degree from the Stockholm School of Economics and a long background as a successful entrepreneur.
She has built several companies from the ground up, always with a focus on values-driven leadership, and she has lived with horses and animals since childhood. It is that combination – business acumen and animal heart – that makes her a key person in our journey.
Christine Knaust, a licensed veterinarian and co-founder, has been involved since the beginning.
It was important for Robert to include veterinary expertise at the core – to ensure that the animals and the care profession are always at the center.
But it doesn't stop there.
Everyone on the board and the ownership group – from business lawyers to entrepreneurs – has had animals, lived with animals and has a genuine love for animals.
This is a company where understanding animals is a requirement – not a bonus.
When everything was about to be destroyed
Some time into the company's journey, an external CEO was appointed.
It was a decision that almost cost us everything.
She had no understanding of animals. She didn't listen. She broke down instead of building.
I – as a veterinarian – was tasked with developing the company's budget. It wasn't just wrong – it was absurd.
Whistleblowing came in. We found errors in the financial reporting.
She had received a formal warning earlier, but nothing changed.
And there I fell again.
Everything I had once fought my way out of came back. I was reminded – of the very thing I had run away from. This time it wasn’t just exhaustion – it was fear. I saw how something built with warmth and values was crumbling – from the inside.
I went to the board and to Robert.
“I’m going to resign. And I’m not alone.”
The board acted quickly and forcefully.
She was dismissed with immediate effect.
“It was lucky she was only at the helm for nine months. If it had continued any longer, I would have had to leave the industry – for good.”
We took responsibility – and rebuilt
We conducted an internal investigation.
We changed our structures.
We strengthened everything from recruitment to valuation work.
We signed new cooperation agreements – with players who lead development in the Nordic countries and Europe.
And we went back to our basics:
Veterinarian-led. Animal-driven. Built on real understanding.
We are stronger – and we are growing
Since then, we have built a team with high competence, strong integrity and extensive experience.
We have spent a lot of time finding the right people – not only the most qualified, but those who also share our values.
One of them is Izabela Belarhzal, a licensed veterinarian with over 25 years of experience in animal care. She has worked in emergency care, intensive care and leadership at some of Stockholm's largest animal hospitals. Since January 2025, she has been the clinic manager of VetAtHome Djurkliniken Östermalm, where she leads the daily work and develops both the care and the team.
But our clinic is only one part, it is the home visits that are the core of the company.
Our mobile veterinarians go to animals' homes every day in their safe environment – where care is often calmer, more natural and more accurate. It is a rapidly growing form of care – worldwide – and we are proud to be part of leading that movement.
Today we are over 30 people.
We deliver home visits throughout Greater Stockholm and we are about to establish ourselves in more parts of Sweden and the Nordic region.
Home visits by a veterinarian save time, reduce stress for both animals and people – more pleasant animal care for animals and pet owners where the best waiting room is at home.
To those of you struggling – you are not alone
I know how it feels.
Not being able to cope. Feeling like no one understands.
But there is another way.
And we are building it – every day.
A contribution to the industry
Animal healthcare must never become a game for capital.
It must not become a digital company where animals are forgotten.
Technology is a support – but veterinarians must lead.
VetAtHome is not a technology company with animals as its target audience.
We are a veterinarian-led company, built from the ground up – together with entrepreneurs, business lawyers and animal owners with deep understanding.
We don't build for short-term profit.
We build for long-term trust.
We stand for values such as animal welfare, safety, responsibility, competence and respect – things that both authorities and reputable organizations talk about, but which we try to live – every day.
“If we veterinarians don't feel good – then it doesn't matter how much venture capital there is.”
We are building something new.
Something sustainable.
Something that puts animals, healthcare professionals and trust at the center.
The future is veterinary-led. Animal-driven. Humane. And it has already begun.
/ Carolina
