Gary Peters | PupPilot
In This Episode
Gary Peters, co-founder and CEO of PupPilot, joins Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak to talk about what it takes to put AI on the front desk of a veterinary practice.
The idea of PupPilot came from inside the exam room. Gary has a master’s in AI from Carnegie Mellon, and it was his wife and co-founder, Dr. Nora Peters, DVM, a high-volume surgeon working without front-office support, who asked whether any of these tools could ease the burnout. Gary says that now, the technology is ready for veterinary work, with voice fidelity, accuracy, and reliability all at a production level.
Gary points out that clinics need something different from what most AI phone vendors offer. Many vendors design their systems for all types of medicine, focusing on insurance workflows, but this does not help much in veterinary medicine, where most clients do not have insurance. Veterinary clinics need accurate triage, booking that goes straight into the PIMS without extra data entry, and a voice system that keeps clients on the line instead of losing them to another clinic.
If you’ve been weighing this for your own clinic, Shawn and Ivan raise important questions. What problems can come up if clinics adopt new technology too soon? Are PIMS integrations truly open, or do they have hidden costs? And where is the line between simply routing a call and replacing a person?
Learn more about PupPilot.
Gary Peters recommends the YouTube channel and podcast by Dwarkesh Patel.
Topics Discussed:
- AI call handling and after-hours coverage
- Why vet med needs AI built for vet med
- PIMS integration and interoperability
- Front desk staffing and burnout