AAHA- American Animal Hospital Association

AAHA-Accredited Hospital Quick Search

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is the only organization that accredits small animal hospitals throughout the U.S. & Canada. AAHA-accredited hospitals adhere to the highest quality standards, which helps ensure the best care for your pet. Find an AAHA-accredited hospital:

AAHA Importance to You and Your Pet

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is an international association of more than 42,000 veterinary care providers who treat companion animals. Established in 1933, AAHA is well known among veterinarians and pet owners for its standards for hospitals and pet health care. Approximately 3,000 veterinary hospitals voluntarily participate in the AAHA hospital evaluation program. Consultants regularly visit these hospitals to ensure compliance with AAHA’s standards for services and facilities.

AAHA is the only organization that accredits animal hospitals throughout the U.S. and Canada. AAHA-accredited hospitals voluntarily choose to be evaluated on 900 standards in the following areas: quality of care; diagnostic & pharmacy; management; medical records; and facility. Why does this matter to you? Here are a few examples of how AAHA’s standards impact you and your pet.

The standards require hospitals to provide diagnostic services (x-ray and laboratory) so that they can quickly and accurately diagnose your pet.
The standards focus on the quality of care in the areas of: anesthesia, contagious diseases, dentistry, pain management, patient care, surgery and emergency care.
Accredited hospitals have an onsite pharmacy (another standards area) so they can begin treatment immediately.
AAHA standards also require that medical records be thorough and complete which helps them to better understand your pet’s medical history and how past health issues might be impacting their current medical status.

The Standards developed and published by AAHA are widely accepted as representing those components of veterinary practice that represent high quality care. The Standards are periodically reviewed and updated to ensure that they remain consistent with evolving knowledge and technology.

Accreditation helps veterinary hospitals stay on the leading edge of veterinary medicine and provide the quality and range of services you and your pet deserve.

Because of the AAHA Standards of Accreditation, you can be sure that your pet will receive top-quality care at an AAHA-accredited hospital.

Patient Care Standards

Veterinary medicine is regulated by state agencies, and each state maintains its own minimum regulations. Although AAHA-accreditation is voluntary, AAHA is the only organization in the US and Canada that accredits companion animal hospitals based on standards that go above and beyond state regulations. The AAHA Standards of Accreditation include more than 900 individual standards, divided into 19 major sections including patient care.

Often times, it is not feasible for an owner to accompany or observe their pet while receiving veterinary care. During this time, it is common for owners to be anxious or nervous about how their beloved pet is being treated. To alleviate pet owner concerns and to help veterinary teams practice at a higher standard of excellence, the AAHA Standards of Accreditation address compassionate, high quality care for patients during all aspects of their visit by including over 900 standards that deal with staff training, examination and assessment, hospitalization, fluid therapy, adverse events, client compliance, pet behavior, nutrition, hospital acquired infections, animal handling, housing of patients, pain management and being prepared to handle everyday emergencies.

Among the many standards in the patient care section, AAHA accreditation requires that all patient care is under the authority, supervision, and approval of a licensed veterinarian. Additionally, AAHA Standards dictate that the practice has the means to administer oxygen on a periodic or on-going basis for compromised patients. This may be accomplished by using methods such as nasal canulas, oxygen cages, oxygen tents or e-collars enclosed with plastic. The Standards recommends that all accredited practices utilize a written protocol and training program that addresses how to identify and report significant abuse of animals and humans. This includes concerns such as starvation, refusal of basic humane care, non-hygienic environments, mishandling, and infliction of injury.

The Standards, developed by AAHA, are widely accepted as representing those components of veterinary practice that represent high quality care. The Standards are periodically reviewed and updated by a committee of experts and practitioners to ensure that they remain consistent with evolving veterinary knowledge and technology.

The AAHA Helping Pets Fund

As the benevolent arm of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), the AAHA Foundation seeks to improve the lives of pets. To acheive this, the AAHA Helping Pets Fund works with AAHA-accredited veterinary practices to identify pets in need. Accredited practices may then apply for assistance from the Fund for emergency and non-elective treatment of abandoned pets and pets whose owners are facing financial hardship.

Since 1933, AAHA has strived to meet the public’s needs for pet care by supporting companion animal veterinary practices through a variety of high-quality programs. The AAHA Board of Directors established a Foundation in 1978 to fund programs that would improve the lives of pets. Since 2004, the Foundation has embraced a benevolent mission through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund.

How You Can Help

By giving to the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, you bring the vision of helping more pets in need closer to reality. There are many ways to support the Fund. To find out how, please visit www.aahahelpingpets.org or call 1-866-4HELPETS (1-866-443-5738).