To date, it remains the only such organization serving the United States and Canada.
For hospitals that serve humans, being accredited is mandatory. Completing the accreditation process is voluntary for animal hospitals, though. As a result, only about 12% of veterinary practices are AAHA accredited.
To earn accreditation, animal hospitals are evaluated on more than 900 standards of veterinary excellence encompassing everything from patient care, diagnostics, and surgery to client service, cleanliness, and leadership. Once accredited, facilities must be re-evaluated every three years. Being AAHA accredited means that a veterinary hospital follows procedures and protocols that are well above the minimum of what is generally considered acceptable in the veterinary field.