UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM 10-K/A
                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1


         [X]         ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                     SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                   For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999

         [ ]         TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                         Commission file number 1-10787

                       VETERINARY CENTERS OF AMERICA, INC.
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

               DELAWARE                                  95-4097995
   (State or other jurisdiction of          (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
   incorporation  or organization)
                          12401 WEST OLYMPIC BOULEVARD
                       LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90064-1022
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

                                 (310) 584-6500
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

           SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OF THE ACT:

                                      NONE

           SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(G) OF THE ACT:

                          Common stock, $.001 par value

                         Preferred Stock Purchase Rights

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes X   No    .
                                             ---     ---

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405
of Regulation S-K is not contained herein and will not be contained, to the best
of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any Amendment to this
Form 10-K. [ ]

At March 15, 2000, there were outstanding 21,771,726 shares of the Common Stock
of Registrant and the aggregate market value of the shares held on that date by
non-affiliates of Registrant, based on the closing price ($11.81 per share) of
the Registrant's Common Stock on the NASDAQ National Market, was $254,913,750.
For purposes of this computation, it has been assumed that the shares
beneficially held by directors and officers of Registrant were "held by
affiliates;" this assumption is not to be deemed to be an admission by such
persons that they are affiliates of Registrant.

                       DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of Registrant's Proxy Statement relating to its 2000 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual Report.





PART IV

   ITEM 14. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES, AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K.

     (a) Exhibits:

          See attached Exhibit Index.

     (b)  Financial Statement Schedules:

               Report of Independent Public Accounts

               Schedules for the years ended December 31, 1999, 1998, 1997

                        II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

          Schedules other than those listed above are omitted since they are not
          applicable, not required or the information required to be set forth
          herein is included in the consolidated financial statements or notes
          thereto.

     (c)  Reports on Form 8-K:

          None





                                 EXHIBIT INDEX


ITEM NO.    EXHIBIT
- -------     -------

3.1         Certificate of Incorporation of Registrant, as amended to date (1)

3.2         Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation of
            Registrant

3.3         Bylaws of Registrant, as currently in effect (2)

4.1         Specimen certificate evidencing Common Stock of Registrant (3)

4.2         Indenture dated as of April 17, 1996 between Veterinary Centers of
            America, Inc. and the Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. (4)

4.3         Form of Rights Agreement, dated as of December 30, 1997, between the
            Corporation and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company as Rights
            Agent (5)

4.4         Certificate of Designation of Rights, Preferences and Privileges of
            Preferred Stock (5)

4.5         Form of Rights Certificate (5)

10.1        1987 Stock Option Plan of Company and form of Stock Option Agreement
            used therewith, as amended (6)

10.2        Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Company and its
            Directors (2)

10.3        Amended and Restated Employment Agreement made and entered into as
            of February 1, 1997, by and between Robert L. Antin and the Company
            (7)

10.4        Amended and Restated Employment Agreement made and entered into as
            of February 1, 1997, by and between Arthur J. Antin and the Company
            (7)

10.5        Amended and Restated Employment Agreement made and entered into as
            of February 1, 1997, by and between Neil Tauber and the Company (7)

10.6        Letter Agreement dated November 22, 1999, amending the Amended and
            Restated Employment Agreement made and entered into as of February
            1, 1997, by and between Robert J. Antin and the Company

10.7        Letter Agreement dated November 22, 1999, amending the Amended and
            Restated Employment Agreement made and entered into as of February
            1, 1997 by and between Arthur J. Antin and the Company

10.8        Letter Agreement dated November 22, 1999, amending the Amended and
            Restated Employment Agreement made and entered into as of February
            1, 1997, by and between Neil Tauber and the Company

10.9        Agreement made and entered into as of October 13, 1999, by and
            between Tomas Fuller and the Company





10.10       Partnership Agreement, dated January 1, 1993, of Specialty Pet
            Products Partners (6)

10.11       1993 Incentive Stock Plan of the Company and form of Stock Plan
            Option Agreement used therewith (8)

10.12       First Amendment to Partnership Agreement, dated as of January 11,
            1995 by and between HPP Specialty Pet Products Inc. and VCA
            Specialty Pet Products, Inc. (9)

10.13       Letter Agreement dated September 9, 1996 between VCA Specialty Pet
            Products, Inc., Veterinary Centers of America, Inc. HPP Specialty
            Pet Products, Inc. and Heinz Pet Products (10)

10.14       Restructuring Agreement between HPP Specialty Products, Inc., Heinz
            Pet Products, VCA Specialty Products, Inc. and Veterinary Centers of
            America, Inc. (10)

10.15       VCA 1996 Stock Incentive Plan (4)

10.16       VCA 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (4)

21.1        Subsidiaries of Registrant

23.1        Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP (11)

27.1        Financial Data Schedule (11)

- -------------

(1)         Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Report on Form 10-K/A,
            Amendment No. 1, for the year ended December 31, 1996

(2)         Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Registration Statement
            on Form S-1, File No. 33-40095

(3)         Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Registration Statement
            on Form S-1, File No. 33-42504

(4)         Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Registration Statement
            on Form S-4, File No. 333-6667

(5)         Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Report on Form 8-K filed
            on January 5, 1998

(6)         Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Report on Form 10-KSB,
            for the year ended December 31, 1992

(7)         Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Report on Form 10-K/A,
            Amendment No. 1, for the year ended December 31, 1998





(8)         Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Report on Form 10-KSB,
            for the year ended December 31, 1993

(9)         Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Report on Form 10-KSB,
            for the year ended December 31, 1994

(10)        Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Report on Form 10-K for
            the year ended December 31, 1996

(11)        Incorporated by reference from Registrant's Report on Form 10-K for
            the year ended December 31, 1999





                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to
be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, this 29th
day of March, 2000.

                                          VETERINARY CENTERS OF AMERICA, INC.
                                          (Registrant)



                                          By:  /S/ ROBERT L. ANTIN
                                               ------------------------------
                                               Robert L. Antin
                                               Its:   President





      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of
the Registrant and in the capacities indicated and on the dates indicated.




                                                                               
SIGNATURE                                    TITLE                                   DATE
- ---------                                    -----                                   ----

                                             President, Chief Executive Officer
                                             and Chairman of the Board
                                             (Principal Executive
/S/ ROBERT L. ANTIN                          Officer and Director)                   March 29, 2000
- ----------------------------
Robert L. Antin

                                             Senior Vice President,
                                             Chief Operating Officer,
                   *                         Secretary and Director                  March 29, 2000
- ----------------------------
Arthur J. Antin


                                             Senior Vice President,
                   *                         Treasurer and Director                  March 29, 2000
- ----------------------------
Neil Tauber

                                             Vice President,
                                             Chief Financial Officer
                                             and Assistant Secretary
                   *                         (Principal Accounting Officer)          March 29, 2000
- ----------------------------
Tomas W. Fuller


                                             Director
- ----------------------------
John Heil


                   *                         Director                                March 29, 2000
- ----------------------------
John Chickering


                                             Director
- ----------------------------
Dr. Richard Gillespie


*By: /S/ ROBERT L. ANTIN
     -----------------------
     Robert L. Antin, Attorney-In-Fact