Recently the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) announced the desire to form a specialty veterinary college dedicated to veterinary hospice and palliative care. Formally proposed as the American College of Veterinary Hospice and Palliative Care (ACVHPC), many leaders in the field are advocating for its need within the profession. Next, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) decides if it should happen. Here is a bit of information on the reasons for this new college plus the journey ahead, and yes…I’m in favor.
The Background
Veterinary medicine has undergone a monumental shift over the last few decades. Historically centered on acute care, curative treatments, and infectious disease management, the profession has evolved to place increasing attention on the human-animal bond. Today, companion animals are widely viewed not merely as property, but as full-fledged members of the family. Because of advancements in nutrition, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and specialized tertiary care, pets are living significantly longer lives. However, this increased longevity brings an inevitable side effect: a rising prevalence of complex, chronic, and terminal illnesses.
When a cure is no longer possible or pursued, a clinical gap often emerges between the diagnosis of a terminal illness and the ultimate endpoint of euthanasia. To bridge this gap, end-of-life (EOL) providers, including euthanasia experts, have stepped up to answer the call. While it has grown substantially as a discipline, EOL care is not yet recognized as an official, board-certified specialty by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) of the AVMA. It was attempted a few years back, but in 2026, things are ramping up.
The AVMA did establish its first formal Veterinary Hospice Care Guidelines in 2001 so attention to EOL is nothing new. These guidelines validated end-of-life management as a distinct medical need rather than an afterthought to a failed cure. Academic institutions followed suit; in 2003, Colorado State University (CSU) launched its pioneering “Pet Hospice” program, designed to educate veterinary students, support caregivers, and treat terminal patients, a high percentage of which were oncology patients (PMC, 2024). The field achieved global, organized structure in 2009 with the founding of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC). The IAAHPC established a unified mission to bring educational standards, guidelines, and legitimacy to the field. By 2016, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), in collaboration with the IAAHPC, released the first AAHA/IAAHPC End-of-Life Care Guidelines, which firmly established quality-of-life assessments, multi-modal pain management, and empathetic client communication as mainstream practices.
While the exact number of veterinary hospice providers is unknown, I theorize there are at least 2000 in the United States. Establishing an official veterinary specialty in hospice and palliative care is the logical next step for the profession. Formalizing this discipline will profoundly benefit pet owners, provide vital mental health and professional sustainability for veterinarians, and reshape the future of veterinary medicine by establishing standardized, evidence-based care guidelines through the expertise of boarded diplomates. Here’s how.
How It Happens
To establish a new American veterinary specialty college recognized by ABVS, a group of veterinary experts must navigate a rigorous, multi-step process to prove the need for a new distinct specialty.
- Establishment of an Organizing Committee: A group of board-certified veterinarians (usually from related fields) forms an organizing committee, and in this case, other veterinary experts who have been practicing hospice for many years. Collectively, they must demonstrate that the proposed specialty represents a unique, distinct field of veterinary medicine not already covered by an existing college.
- The ABVS Petition: The committee submits a formal petition to the ABVS through the AVMA. This petition includes evidence of a substantial body of scientific literature, public need, and a list of qualified professionals who will see the college to fruition. If the petition is strong, it will be opened up to the profession and public to vote on whether they feel the new college is needed. If approved, the real work begins.
- Defining the Constitution and Standards: The committee drafts a constitution, bylaws, and strict training requirements. They must establish a comprehensive residency program curriculum and a validated examination process to test future candidates. This process takes years, and dedication by the committee is a must. As of 2026, some 30+ experts are part of this veterinary hospice committee.
- Recognized Status: If the ABVS approves the petition, the college is granted Recognized Veterinary Specialty Organization (RVSO) status. The founding members are then designated as “Charter Diplomates,” authorized to train and board-certify future specialists.
The Longterm Effect
The formal recognition of veterinary hospice and palliative care as a specialty will fundamentally alter the architecture of veterinary services, pushing the industry toward a more integrated, mature, and compassionate model of healthcare. It will do this in multiple ways:
- Elevate the Standard of End-of-Life Practice – specialty recognition creates formal residency programs, rigorous peer-reviewed board examinations, and strict continuing education requirements. This systematization trickles down into general practice, elevating the baseline standard of how every veterinarian approaches death and dying.
- Economic Viability and Service Optimization – from an industry standpoint, hospice care represents a highly sustainable service sector. Pet owners have demonstrated an increasing willingness to allocate financial resources toward ensuring their pets do not suffer at the end of life. By formalizing this sector, veterinary hospitals can structure dedicated palliative care wings or outpatient services, optimizing hospital flow.
- Interdisciplinary Integration – a board specialty will solidify relationships between veterinary medicine and human healthcare infrastructure. Hospice veterinary specialists frequently collaborate with human medical professionals, grief counselors, and bioethicists. This bridges the gap in “One Health” concepts by recognizing that the mental health of human populations is deeply tied to the welfare and dignified death of their companion animals.
- Referral Pathways to Reduce Burnout – in human medicine, an oncologist or general practitioner does not feel like they are failing a patient when they refer them to hospice; rather, they are transitioning the patient to an appropriate tier of specialized care. Establishing an ABVS specialty would create a formal referral pathway in veterinary medicine. General practitioners would no longer have to stretch themselves thin trying to manage complicated EOL cases. They may confidently refer cases to a specialist, ensuring the patient receives optimal care while protecting their own mental well-being. The specialist in turn may offer consultations and guidance to general practitioners seeking to deliver EOL care themselves.
- Advanced Analgesia and Symptom Control – specialists possess deeper expertise in advanced, multi-modal pain management strategies that go beyond traditional care. Additionally, they are experts in mitigating non-pain symptoms that drastically impair quality of life, such as anxiety, respiratory distress, gastrointestinal issues, and cognitive dysfunction so common as death approaches. When it comes to euthanasia, diplomates in the college will guide best practices for the rest of the profession to follow.
- Career Longevity and Diversity – hospice and palliative medicine offers a highly intellectually stimulating, emotionally fulfilling, and physically sustainable career track. It opens avenues for mobile house-call practices, consulting, telehealth, EOL research, and academic instruction, allowing veterinarians from varied backgrounds to evolve into the field.
- Increase research in EOL The Critical Need for More Research – for a veterinary discipline to mature into a universally respected specialty, it must be rooted in rigorous, evidence-based medicine rather than anecdotal clinical experience. Currently, veterinary hospice and palliative care faces a scarcity of robust, peer-reviewed scientific literature.
Regarding research, the IAAHPC has actively taken steps to address this gap by establishing research grant programs and partnering with academic journals, such as the Human-Animal Interactions journal, to publish special editions dedicated to end-of-life veterinary science (IAAHPC, 2026). However, without the institutional backing of an official ABVS specialty, funding for animal hospice research will remain limited. Establishing a formal specialty will unlock federal, corporate, and academic grants, prompting veterinary teaching hospitals to build dedicated palliative care research labs and clinical departments.
In Summary
The grassroots growth of veterinary hospice over the past three decades has proven that there is an overwhelming demand for structured end-of-life management including euthanasia. Formally establishing a recognized veterinary board specialty in hospice and palliative care will provide pet owners with the expert guidance and emotional support required to navigate the dying process. It will grant veterinarians a sustainable career path and elevate the standards of the entire veterinary industry, driving scientific research that guarantees evidence-based comfort for terminally ill animals. By validating veterinary hospice and palliative care as a distinct specialty, the veterinary profession will fulfill its ultimate ethical promise: to protect animal health, alleviate animal suffering, and honor the human-animal bond from the first breath to the very last.
References
- DVM360. (2026). An introduction to the concept of veterinary hospice care (Proceedings). Retrieved from https://www.dvm360.com/view/introduction-concept-veterinary-hospice-care-proceedings
- International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC). (2026). Research & IAAHPC: Commitment to advancing knowledge. Retrieved from https://iaahpc.org/research/
- PubMed Central (PMC). (2024). Practical principles of palliative care in veterinary oncology: Alleviating the suffering of the animal, owner, and veterinarian. Retrievable via PMC11260215.
Click here to share your thoughts with the AVMA on the formation of a veterinary hospice and palliative care specialty. Open for comments until August 13, 2026.
Share this article on:
