Japanese Animal Hospital Association (JAHA)
The Japanese Animal Hospital Association (JAHA) is a non-profit organization authorized by the Japanese Ministry of Welfare, Health and Labor. To achieve the goal of creating a society, where both human and animals coexist in ideal relationship, JAHA promotes projects to enhance animal hospital facilities and projects to build sound relationship of human and animals.
Since its establishment in 1978, JAHA has invited foreign speakers 3 to 4 times a year, to offer updated veterinary knowledge and techniques. Since 1986, JAHA started visiting nursing homes and other facilities, accompanying animals that are healthy, clean and well trained. For this activity, JAHA was reorganized as a government authorized non-profit organization in 1987. In 1994, JAHA became a national member of International Association of Human Animal Interaction Organization (IAHAIO).
JAHA members consist of ; veterinary hospital owners, other veterinarians, veterinary technicians, doctors, researchers, educators, veterinary students, volunteers for the welfare activities, dog training instructors, welfare facilities, supporting associations and companies.
I. Projects to enhance animal hospitals
- JAHA international seminars
- JAHA has been holding 6 series of veterinary seminars per year, inviting foreign speakers in various fields.
- Academic publication
- Has published over 80 veterinary seminar syllabuses and over 10 translated or original academic books.
- Certification of animal hospitals
- JAHA has set high standards of animal hospital facilities, equipment, management, skills and knowledge, and certifies animal hospitals, which accomplish the standards.
- Certification of specialists in internal medicine and surgery.
- For the purpose of training veterinary specialist in Japan, JAHA started "Certified veterinary internist / surgeon program" in 2000.
- Certification of veterinary technician and veterinary technician schools.
- JAHA has set up certification program for veterinary technicians and veterinary technician schools to standardize the knowledge and techniques, and to advance their social cognition and status. JAHA also has been holding 3 series of seminars per year for the continuing education of certified veterinary technicians.
II. Projects to promote sound human-animal relation
- Companion Animal Partnership Program (CAPP) visitation activity
- Volunteers accompanying well trained animals which meet certain standards, have visited nursing homes, hospitals, hospices, schools and other facilities to promote interaction between human and animals, over 5,200 times in the past 17 years.
- Training and certification of dog training instructors
- JAHA certifies " Dog training instructors " who are not the trainers of dogs, but who teach the owners to build human animal bond with their dogs, and teach the owners to train their dogs by themselves.
- Educational activity toward society on dog training.
- JAHA holds seminars for dog owners with the aim to train dogs and to develop manners of the owners.
- Establishment of rules to live in collective housing with animals.
- JAHA supports living with animals in collective housing by helping to set up manners and rules in each housing.
The first International Conference on Human-Animal Interactions in Asia was held in Tokyo, October 5th to 8th, 2007.
IAHAIO 2007 Conference Report and PDF downloads
Japanese Animal Hospital Association
1-15 Shin-ogawa-machi, Ikeda Bldg. 201, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0814 JAPAN
TEL : 81-3-3235-3251
FAX : 81-3-3235-3277
E-mail : info@jaha.or.jp
