AAHA Accreditation Named Key Quality Indicator in Newsweek's America's Best Animal Hospitals 2026 Rankings

Comprehensive national study highlights importance of American Animal Hospital Association accreditation when selecting veterinary care

LAKEWOOD, CO, UNITED STATES, December 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Newsweek, in partnership with Plant-A Insights, announced America's Best Animal Hospitals 2026, a definitive ranking of the nation's premier veterinary care facilities. The distinction underscores a critical factor pet owners should consider when selecting healthcare for their animals: accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

AAHA accreditation served as a key differentiator in the selection process, highlighting hospitals that meet rigorous quality benchmarks in veterinary medicine. This recognition reflects the association's standards covering patient care, facility management, medical protocols, and staff training; criteria that fewer than 15% of veterinary practices in North America achieve.

"Every pet deserves exceptional care, and AAHA-accredited hospitals deliver on that promise. These hospitals voluntarily choose to undergo rigorous evaluations across hundreds of standards because they're committed to excellence. We commend Newsweek for highlighting this important distinction in their rankings and helping pet owners understand what to look for when selecting a veterinary hospital, enabling them to identify facilities that have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to the highest standards of care,” said Guylaine Charette, DVM, interim CEO of AAHA.

The comprehensive study, now in its second year, evaluated more than 15,000 animal hospitals nationwide based on accreditations and online presence. Of these, more than 4,500 facilities underwent in-depth state-by-state evaluation, ultimately recognizing 1,262 hospitals that demonstrate exceptional standards of care. The final ranking provides pet owners with accessible, reliable information to make informed decisions about their animals' healthcare.

The ranking methodology incorporated multiple evaluation criteria:

Nationwide survey of more than 30,000 pet owners (September-October 2025) who identified and rated their likelihood to recommend animal hospitals in their state

Sentiment analysis of over five million online reviews using a proprietary Large Language Model to evaluate eight key satisfaction drivers, including Quality of Care, Customer Service, and Pricing & Affordability

AAHA accreditation standards, with additional recognition given to accredited hospitals and special consideration for facilities meeting rigorous professional benchmarks. AAHA provided data on accreditation status, specialties, and quality standards for participating facilities.

"America's Best Animal Hospitals 2026 goes beyond traditional ranking studies by combining a large-scale nationwide survey with an attribute-based sentiment analysis of millions of customer reviews," says Manuel Moerbach, CEO of Plant-A Insights. "Our analysis used a proprietary Large Language Model that evaluated eight key performance drivers such as Quality of Care, Staff Friendliness and Pricing. We are proud to partner with AAHA, who served as a key knowledge partner in providing additional data about every accredited animal hospital in the United States."

For the complete list of America's Best Animal Hospitals 2026, visit newsweek.com.

For more information on the American Animal Hospital Association, visit aaha.org.

About the American Animal Hospital Association

Since 1933, the American Animal Hospital Association has been the only organization to accredit veterinary hospitals across the United States and Canada based on standards linked to high-quality medicine and compassionate care. With accreditation partners in South Korea, Japan, and China, this initiative is expanding internationally. Our mission is to simplify the path to excellence in veterinary practices. In veterinary medicine, accreditation is optional. The AAHA-accredited logo serves as the most reliable sign that a practice has undergone evaluation by an independent party. Look for the AAHA logo at your local animal hospital or use the accredited hospital locator on aaha.org to find one.

Wendy Cobrda
American Animal Hospital Association
+1 303-970-9672
wendy.cobrda@aaha.org
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