Basis of Presentation (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

The accounting policies of our segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies included in our 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K. We evaluate the performance of our segments based on gross profit and operating income. For purposes of reviewing the operating performance of our segments, all intercompany sales and purchases are generally accounted for as if they were transactions with independent third parties at current market prices.

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.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, “Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”, as part of the Board’s Simplification Initiative. The areas for simplification in this Update involves several aspects of share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. An entity that elects early adoption must adopt all of the amendments in the same period. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-09 on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net)”. The amendments in this Update affect the guidance in Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)", which is not yet effective. The effective date and transition requirements for the amendments in this Update are the same as the effective date and transition requirements of Update 2014-09. Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-14, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date", defers the effective date of Update 2014-09 by one year.

In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-07, “Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Simplifying the Transition to the Equity Method of Accounting”. The amendments in this Update eliminate the requirement that when an investment qualifies for use of the equity method as a result of an increase in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence, an investor must adjust the investment, results of operations, and retained earnings retroactively on a step-by step basis as if the equity method had been in effect during all previous periods that the investment had been held. The amendments require that the equity method investor add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee to the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. Therefore, upon qualifying for the equity method of accounting, no retroactive adjustment of the investment is required. The amendments in this Update require that an entity that has an available-for-sale equity security that becomes qualified for the equity method of accounting recognize through earnings the unrealized holding gain or loss in accumulated other comprehensive income at the date the investment becomes qualified for use of the equity method. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016. The amendments should be applied prospectively upon their effective date to increases in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence that result in the adoption of the equity method. Earlier adoption is permitted. No additional disclosures are required at transition. We do not expect this adoption to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842) Section A-Leases: Amendments to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification®; Section B-Conforming Amendments Related to Leases: Amendments to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification®; Section C-Background Information and Basis for Conclusions”. The amendments in this Update affect any entity that enters into a lease with some specified scope exemptions and supersedes Topic 840, Leases. The main difference between previous GAAP and Topic 842 is the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous GAAP which did not require lease assets and lease liabilities to be recognized for most leases. The lease assets and lease liabilities arising from operating leases should be recognized in the statement of financial position. A lessee should recognize a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. When measuring assets and liabilities arising from a lease, a lessee (and a lessor) should include payments to be made in optional periods only if the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise an option to extend the lease or not to exercise an option to terminate the lease.

The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-02 on our consolidated financial statements.


11.	Recent Accounting Pronouncements, continued

In January 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-01, “Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”. An entity should present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk if the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value in accordance with the fair value option for financial instruments. For public business entities, this Update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. We do not expect this adoption to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Mandatorily Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests [Member]

Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]

Shares Subject to Mandatory Redemption, Changes in Redemption Value

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.

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests [Member]

Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]

Shares Subject to Mandatory Redemption, Changes in Redemption Value

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.