It may come as a surprise to pet owners, but more than 85 percent of all veterinary hospitals and clinics for companion animals in the United States and Canada are not accredited by an independent outside agency as hospitals for humans are.
We were reminded of that last week when we hosted a visit by Wanda Ross, practice consultant for the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) who came through to evaluate our hospital and review its accreditation using about 900 standards of best practices. Established in 1933 and based in Lakewood, Colo., AAHA is the only veterinary association exclusive to pets that does accreditations.