Noncontrolling Interests

We own some of our animal hospitals in partnerships with noncontrolling interest holders. We consolidate our partnerships in our condensed, consolidated financial statements because our ownership interest in these partnerships is equal to or greater than 50.1% and we control these entities. We record noncontrolling interest in income of subsidiaries equal to our partners’ percentage ownership of the partnerships’ income. We also record changes in the redemption value of our redeemable noncontrolling interests in net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in our condensed, consolidated income statements. We reflect our noncontrolling partners’ cumulative share in the equity of the respective partnerships as either noncontrolling interests in equity, mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interests in other liabilities, or redeemable noncontrolling interests in temporary equity (mezzanine) in our condensed, consolidated balance sheets.


a.	Mandatorily Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests

The terms of some of our partnership agreements require us to purchase the partner’s equity in the partnership in the event of the partner’s death. We report these redeemable noncontrolling interests at their estimated redemption value, which approximates fair value, and classify them as liabilities due to the certainty of the related event. Estimated redemption value is determined using either a contractually stated formula or a discounted cash flow technique, both of which are used as an approximation of fair value. The discounted cash flow inputs used to determine the redemption value are Level 3 and include forecasted growth rates, valuation multiples, and the weighted average cost of capital. We recognize changes in the obligation as interest cost in our condensed, consolidated income statement.

The following table provides a summary of mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interests included in other liabilities in our condensed, consolidated balance sheets (in thousands):



	Income Statement Impact			Mandatorily Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Balance as of December 31, 2014				$	9,405
Noncontrolling interest expense	$	359
Redemption value change	(86		)	273
Purchase of noncontrolling interests				(803		)
Distribution to noncontrolling interests				(346		)
Currency translation adjustment				(195		)
Balance as of March 31, 2015				$	8,334

Balance as of December 31, 2015				$	8,588
Noncontrolling interest expense	$	365
Redemption value change	(116		)	249
Distribution to noncontrolling interests				(312		)
Currency translation adjustment				167
Balance as of March 31, 2016				$	8,692


10.	Noncontrolling Interests, continued


b.	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests

We also enter into partnership agreements whereby the noncontrolling interest partner is issued certain “put” rights. These rights are normally exercisable at the sole discretion of the noncontrolling interest partner. We report these redeemable noncontrolling interests at their estimated redemption value and classify them in temporary equity (mezzanine). We recognize changes in the obligation in net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in our condensed, consolidated income statement.

The following table provides a summary of redeemable noncontrolling interests (in thousands):



	Income Statement Impact		Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Balance as of December 31, 2014			$	11,077
Noncontrolling interest expense	$	322
Redemption value change	95		417
Distribution to noncontrolling interests			(386		)
Balance as of March 31, 2015			$	11,108

Balance as of December 31, 2015			$	11,511
Noncontrolling interest expense	$	387
Redemption value change	254		641
Distribution to noncontrolling interests			(365		)
Balance as of March 31, 2016			$	11,787