When Dr. Candice Vance, owner of Vance Veterinary, sought funding for her unique idea to have a fully-equipped mobile veterinary practice serving The Villages and Ocala area of Central Florida, most banks told her the concept wasn’t feasible. TD Bank believed in her innovative vision of bringing high-quality veterinary care directly to pet owners' homes.
“Lots of banks told me the idea of a mobile vet like my proposal was impossible, that it was too risky. Others offered lending terms that were simply unaffordable,” Dr. Vance said. “I began doubting I could ever get funding, until TD Bank said, ‘This is a great idea! We're going to make it work!’ I almost cried.”
Finding a financial supporter who shares your vision
TD Bank provided both a term loan and a line of credit that enabled Dr. Vance to purchase and equip her 26-foot mobile veterinary van with everything needed for comprehensive care, including surgery, dentistry, x-rays, and lab testing capabilities.
“I would have spent a burdensome amount of money had I taken out a traditional loan,” she explained. “But fortunately, I ended up spending much less because of the type of lending package TD had to offer.”
Building a practice around community needs
Vance Veterinary’s mobile practice model was inspired by her longstanding connection to the senior community. “Growing up, I was very close to my great-grandmother and hung out with the older generation, playing golf and enjoying their company,” Dr. Vance said. “The amazing thing is, that translated into a career where I happen to be working in a high-retirement area. The community here is important to me, and I'm honored to serve it by providing mobile pet care for them.”
Vance Veterinary intentionally sees fewer patients than traditional clinics to ensure unhurried, personalized care. This approach especially benefits elderly clients and others who might have difficulty transporting their pets to a conventional veterinary office.
Dr. Vance said that getting involved with community organizations is how she wants to use her business to not only provide doorstep veterinary care, but to help others in her community. One such nonprofit is Patriot Service Dogs, an organization that provides service dogs to U.S. veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“Dr. Vance is a role model for the young women in our community; an example of what can happen when you work hard and live out your passion,” said Lindsay August, Regional Vice President of Greater Tampa Bay, TD Bank. “Her work with community organizations like Patriot Service Dogs will be especially meaningful to the people of this community.”
Growing with continued support
Given TD's enthusiasm for her concept and success, Dr. Vance often turns to her relationship management team for trusted financial guidance.
“My working relationship with TD mirrors the core purpose and value in my own business,” she said. “Compassion. Personalized service. Making a difference in the local community. Those are the common factors that make my relationship with TD Bank work so well.”
Looking ahead, Vance Veterinary has two potential growth paths. One is to maintain Dr. Vance’s current operation as a satisfying path toward eventual retirement while taking time off when she wants to. The other is to expand with multiple mobile units and possible storefront locations to serve more communities.
For the second option, Lindsay says TD Bank is ready to assist. “We'd love to see the expansion of the mobile units, to see Dr. Vance's service area grow larger and larger. If she duplicates what she's doing today, she's going to have a very successful enterprise that serves a lot more people.”
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We hope you found this helpful. This article is based on information available in May 2025 and is subject to change. It is provided as a convenience and for general information purposes only. Our content is not intended to provide legal, tax, investment, or financial advice or to indicate that a particular TD Bank or third-party product or service is available or right for you.
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