Basis of Presentation (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Segment Reporting

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 statements of income. 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 October 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-17, “Consolidation (Topic 810)Interests held through Related Parties That are under Common Control,” to amend the consolidation guidance on how a reporting entity that is the single decision maker of a variable interest entity (VIE) should treat indirect interests in the entity held through related parties that are under common control with the reporting entity when determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of that VIE. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is the reporting entity that has a controlling financial interest in a VIE and, therefore, consolidates the VIE. A reporting entity has an indirect interest in a VIE if it has a direct interest in a related party that, in turn, has a direct interest in the VIE. The effective date and transition requirements of this ASU for public entities are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. Since this update is related to ASU 2015-02, “Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis,” the amendments should be applied retrospectively if ASU 2015-02 has already been adopted. If not, amendments of both these ASUs should be adopted at the same time, with the same transition method elected for ASU 2015-02. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on our consolidated financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, “Income Taxes (Topic 710) Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory,” to improve the accounting for the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. While current GAAP prohibits the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer until the asset has been sold to an outside party, this ASU requires the entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The amendments in this Update are part of the Board’s Simplification initiative and align the recognition of income tax consequences for intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The effective date and transition requirements of this ASU for public entities are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those reporting periods, with early adoption permitted. The amendments should be applied using a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230):Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments,” to provide guidance on eight specific cash flow issues where current GAAP is unclear or does not have specific guidance. The cash flow issues covered by this ASU are: 1) debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; 2) settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; 3) contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; 4) proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; 5) proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, including bank-owned life insurance policies; 6) distributions received from equity method investees; 7) beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and 8) separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. The effective date and transition requirements of this ASU for public entities are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted. The amendments should be applied using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. If it is impracticable to apply the amendments retrospectively for some of the issues, the amendments for those issues would be applied prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients,” to improve the guidance on Topic 606 in assessing collectibility, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. The effective date and transition requirements of this ASU are the same as ASU 2014-09. Since the effective date of ASU 2014-09 was deferred by ASU 2015-14 by one year, ASU 2014-09 and ASU 2016-10 are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted only as of annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on our consolidated financial statements.

13. Recent Accounting Pronouncements, continued

In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing,” to clarify some issues on Topic 606 that arose on the identifying performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance. The effective date and transition requirements of this ASU are the same as ASU 2014-09. Since the effective date of ASU 2014-09 was deferred by ASU 2015-14 by one year, ASU 2014-09 and ASU 2016-10 are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted only as of annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued 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 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.

In March 2016, the FASB issued 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 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

13. Recent Accounting Pronouncements, continued

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.

In January 2016, the FASB issued 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

Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]

Noncontrolling Interests

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 statements of income.

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests

Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]

Noncontrolling Interests

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 statements of income.