The American Animal Hospital Association has created a separate accreditation program for member veterinary practices that focus on end-of-life care or want to add it as a standalone service.
The program is available to mobile and brick-and-mortar practices that provide palliative, hospice or euthanasia services.
“Today’s pet owners view their pets as family members,” said Janice L. Trumpeter, DVM, AAHA’s deputy CEO. “A poor euthanasia experience can irreparably damage the bond that a pet owner shares with their veterinary practice and the entire health care team.
“End-of-life care accreditation will help veterinary teams provide appropriate supportive and emotional care during these difficult periods, further enhancing and strengthening the human-animal bond.”
A task force established end-of-life accreditation standards, many of which can be found in a 2016 report available at bit.ly/3my9HoX. More information is available by emailing eolcaccreditation@aaha.org.
An estimated 12% to 15% of veterinary practices in the United States and Canada are AAHA-accredited based on their adherence to hundreds of standards.
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