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# EXHIBIT 31.1

# FINANCIAL STATEMENT
CERTIFICATION

I, Jack L. Stephens, Chief Executive
Officer of Veterinary Pet Services, Inc., certify that:

| | 1.                        I
have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Veterinary Pet Services,
          Inc. (the registrant);
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| | 2.                        Based
on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue           statement of
a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make           the
statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements           were
made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly
          report;
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| | 3.                        Based
on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
          included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the
          financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as
          of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;
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| | 4.                        The
registrants other certifying officer and I am responsible for
          establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
          Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and we have:
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| | a)                        designed
such disclosure controls, or caused such disclosure controls and           procedures to
be designed under our supervision, and procedures to ensure that           material
information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
          subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
          during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;
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| | b)                        evaluated
the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls and           procedures
and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness           of the
disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered           by this
report based on such evaluation; and
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| | (c)                        disclosed
in this report any change in the registrants internal control           over
financial reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent
          fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an
          annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
          materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial
          reporting.
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| | 5.                        The
registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on           our
most recent evaluation, to the registrants auditors and the audit
          committee of registrants board of directors (or persons performing the
          equivalent function):
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| | a)                        all
significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls           which
could adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process,
          summarize and report financial data and have identified for the
          registrants auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and
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| | b)                        any
fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees           who
have a significant role in the registrants internal controls.
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|Dated: August 14, 2003 | /s/ JACK L. STEPHENS
________________________________
Jack L. Stephens
President, Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
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