REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
April 21, 2026
FROM
JANKI PATEL, Acting Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with Covetrus North America, LLC for Veterinary Supplies
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Contract with Covetrus North America, LLC, including a non-standard term, to purchase veterinary supplies, in an amount not-to-exceed $700,000, for the period of April 21, 2026 through April 20, 2028.
(Presenter: Janki Patel, Acting Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The not-to-exceed cost of $700,000 will be funded by the current Discretionary General Funding allocation with the Department of Public Health (DPH) Animal Care Division and revenue generated from fees collected for animal licenses and adoptions. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the DPH’s 2025-26 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DPH Animal Care is an animal welfare agency that operates the Big Bear and Devore Animal Shelters and provides programs and services to all unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County, and the cities of Big Bear Lake, Highland, and Yucaipa. Animal Care services include spay and neutering, vaccinations, microchipping, and other emergency veterinary services.
Covetrus North America, LLC (Covetrus) is a tech-enabled veterinary-practice improvement company which enables veterinarians to improve clinical and financial outcomes. Through its eCommerce platform, Covetrus offers more than 22,000 veterinary supplies across the continuum of care.
The recommended contract includes a non-standard term that differs from the standard County contract terms:
Payment terms are Net 30 days.
• County standard payment terms are Net 60 days.
• Potential Impact: County standard processing time is 60 days or more. Failing to pay timely may result in a material breach of the Agreement, which could allow the agency to terminate the Agreement and seek other legal remedies, which could include costs that exceed the Agreement amount.
DPH recommends approval of the contract with Covetrus, including the non-standard term, to purchase the veterinary supplies necessary to provide Animal Care shelter and mobile services. Approving this contract will promote the overall well-being of county residents by ensuring pets stay healthy and helping to control the local pet population.
PROCUREMENT
On May 16, 2025, the Purchasing Department authorized the release of Invitation to Bid (ITB) No. DPHE25-ACC-5871, to solicit bids from vendors providing veterinary supplies. The ITB was posted on the San Bernardino County Electronic Procurement Network (ePro).
Three bids were received in response to the ITB by the established deadline:
|
Vendor |
Location |
|
Covetrus |
Dublin, Ohio |
|
Patterson Veterinary Supply, Inc. |
Bessemer, AL |
|
Unipak Corporation |
Longwood, FL |
DPH recommends awarding a contract to Covetrus due to their comprehensive offering of veterinary products and proposed pricing. An award letter was sent to Covetrus on August 20, 2025. Patterson Veterinary Supply, Inc. and Unipak Corporation were notified by letter of their option to submit a formal protest letter. No protests were received by the deadline.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Daniel Pasek, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 19, 2026; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2060) on April 3, 2026; Risk Management (Stephanie Pacheco, Staff Analyst II, 386-8655) on April 2, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on April 2, 2026.