The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is an association of small animal practices that voluntarily agree to meet the most rigid standards of practice available in the world today. Member hospitals comply with extensive requirements and undergo routine inspections to insure compliance with standards set for facilities, equipment, records, pharmacy, radiology, surgery, nursing care, examination facilities, pathology services, anesthesia, dentistry, housekeeping, maintenance and emergency services. Only 14% of the small animals practices in the nation have qualified to be AAHA member hospitals.

AAHA was founded in 1933 by a small handful of veterinarians led by Dr. Mark Morris. At that time veterinary medicine was largely devoted to agricultural animals and few veterinarians treated pets. These visionary doctors recognized the importance that pets were coming to play in the lives of American families and sought to improve the quality of veterinary care available for them.

From the beginning, AAHA has insisted on improvement. The founders were convinced that small animal practice was important and felt that veterinarians were obligated to provide better facilities and methods than were available at that time. That philosophy is still alive and well as a guiding principal of AAHA today. It has helped stimulate and maintain the growth and development not only of the Association, but of the practice of small animal medicine throughout the world.

Today, AAHA is respected internationally for its dedication to professional development, hospital standards, outstanding publications and the excellence of its educational programs. The recognition and the strength of the organization is a tribute to the vision of its founders and the leadership and dedication of the many who have sacrificed time and energy to serve the Association through the years. Their contributions are evident today in a strong, viable and dynamic association that continues to be on the leading edge of the profession.