August 21, 2003

VCA Antech, Inc.
12401 West Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA  90064-1022
Attn: Tomas W. Fuller

      Re:    VCA Antech, Inc., Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel to VCA Antech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"COMPANY"), in connection with the registration, pursuant to a registration
statement on Form S-3 (the "REGISTRATION STATEMENT"), to be filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "ACT"), of the offering by the selling stockholders named in the
Registration Statement of up to 188,315 shares (the "SHARES") of the Company's
common stock, par value $0.001 per share ("COMMON STOCK").

     We have examined originals or certified copies of such corporate records of
the Company and other certificates and documents of officials of the Company,
public officials and others as we have deemed appropriate for purposes of this
letter. We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of
all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to authentic original
documents of all copies submitted to us as conformed and certified or reproduced
copies.

     Based upon the foregoing and subject to the assumptions, exceptions,
qualifications and limitations set forth hereinafter, we are of the opinion that
when the Registration Statement relating to the Shares has become effective
under the Act, the Shares, when sold and delivered as described in the
Registration Statement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

     The opinions and other matters in this letter are qualified in their
entirety and subject to the following:

     A. We express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than any
published constitutions, treaties, laws, rules or regulations or judicial or
administrative decisions ("LAWS") of (i) the federal Laws of the United States
of America and (ii) the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

     B. This law firm is a registered limited liability partnership organized
under the laws of the State of Texas.






     We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the use of our name in the Prospectus forming a
part of the Registration Statement under the caption "Legal Matters." In giving
this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons
whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder.



                                        Very truly yours,



                                        /s/ Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD, LLP


                                       2