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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesAAHA’s Standards of Accreditation are the benchmarks that accredited veterinary hospitals work to every day. In August 2025, AAHA’s Trends newsroom released an episode of its From the SOAP Box podcast in which Dr. Emily Singler speaks with Devon Crandell, MBA, MSML, RVT/LVT, AAHA’s Director of Standards, following the release of four new standards. The episode page does not include a transcript or detailed rundown, so this article explains the standards and the published context around the episode rather than what was said on air.
What AAHA’s standards are
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) runs a voluntary accreditation program for veterinary practices. According to AAHA’s standards overview, accreditation is ongoing rather than a one-time certificate, and accredited practices maintain standards in nearly 50 categories that cover both clinical care and practice operations. For a pet owner, the practical meaning is that an accredited hospital has committed to a published set of expectations and keeps meeting them over time.
![By American Animal Hospital Assocition - Standard Abbreviations for Veterinary Medical Records (Third Edition) (2010-11-12) [Spiral-bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KlvcJxOFL._SL160_.jpg)
About the August 2025 episode
The episode, titled “PODCAST: Understanding AAHA’s Standards with Devon Crandell,” was published on August 14, 2025. It is hosted by Dr. Emily Singler and features Devon Crandell as AAHA’s Director of Standards. The episode page links to Spotify, AAHA’s learning management system, and YouTube; those listing options can change, so check the episode page for current links.
AAHA’s disclaimer for Trends content says it is meant to inform, educate, and inspire. It is not an official stance, position, or endorsement by AAHA or its Board of Directors. If you want the discussion itself, listen to the episode directly. Anything you read about what was said on it should be checked against the audio.
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The four new standards
AAHA’s July 22, 2025 announcement introduced four new points-based standards approved by the Practice Accreditation Committee and the Board of Directors. They fall into two groups.
Discouraging nontherapeutic procedures
Three of the new standards address procedures that AAHA says practices should discourage when they are performed for nontherapeutic reasons:
- Devocalization
- Ear cropping
- Feline declawing
The standards discourage both performing these procedures and referring clients for them when there is no therapeutic purpose. AAHA’s announcement also recognizes that the veterinarian is the one who determines medical necessity, so the standards do not replace clinical judgment in individual cases.
Microchip conversations and annual checks
The fourth standard concerns microchips. Practices are expected to discuss microchipping with clients and to check each chip’s function and location once a year. The annual check is the part that requires equipment. A clinic needs a scanner that reads the chip types it encounters, so teams should confirm device compatibility before relying on a particular pet microchip scanner for this task, rather than assuming any consumer model will meet the requirement.
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The comprehensive refresh of the standards
The four new standards were part of a larger project. AAHA’s September 15, 2025 announcement describes the full refresh of its Standards of Accreditation as the first comprehensive review in the association’s 90-year history. AAHA reported the following project figures:
| Measure | AAHA-reported figure (September 15, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Standards reviewed | More than 1,200 |
| Revisions recommended | Nearly 400 |
| Revisions implemented | More than 250 |
These are AAHA’s own counts of its review work. They are not independently audited, and they describe the revision project, not patient outcomes or how individual hospitals performed.
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In the same announcement, Devon Crandell is quoted as saying: “Though several of the standards have been revised, we want to ensure existing and future members view this project with the same intention we did. That landscape of medicine and practice operations continues to shift towards a brighter future for our patients. I take pride in everyone’s current and future contributions for what AAHA stands for, the excellence that is veterinary medicine.” That statement comes from AAHA’s written announcement, not from the podcast.
Timeline and what stays the same
- AAHA’s September 2025 announcement said the refreshed standards would take effect in late 2026, and that members would get a preview before that.
- The accreditation and reaccreditation processes were described as unchanged. The standards themselves may be reorganized, streamlined, or modernized.
- As of October 2026, that late-2026 window has arrived or is close. The most recent AAHA statements on this subject date from 2025, so confirm the current effective status on AAHA’s website before describing the refreshed standards as in force.
- Public guidance on how the refreshed standards apply may be limited to members. Check AAHA’s current resources before relying on any preparation steps.
What this means for pet owners
If you want to know whether your vet’s hospital is accredited, ask the practice directly. You can also ask how the team handles microchip checks at visits. If a procedure such as declawing or ear cropping comes up, the new standards mean an accredited practice should discourage it when there is no medical reason, and the veterinarian will make the call on what is medically necessary for your pet.
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