The American Animal Hospital Association is looked to as a leader in the veterinary industry; as such, veterinary professionals and the veterinary industry rely upon our opinions and stances on topics relating to companion animal health and welfare. Often, other organizations publish position statements that AAHA agrees with. Rather than reinvent that position, the association endorses what the other organizations have already done.
The American Animal Hospital Association supports the concept of veterinary hospitals as essential businesses that provide critical healthcare to companion animals, horses, and livestock, as well as vital public health monitoring and management of potential animal illnesses. Veterinary services are essential to the wellbeing of pet owners, who rely on companion animals and think of them as family members, and to the public, as veterinarians often are on the frontlines in animal welfare and food-supply safety, as well as in issues related to animal-human interaction. Adopted by the American Animal Hospital Association Board of Directors March 2020.
