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Accreditation Committee

The Accreditation Committee is a statutory committee of the College with the primary responsibility for deciding upon and directing the issuance of Certificates of Accreditation for those facilities that are referred to it by the Registrar. The Accreditation Committee may not pass a regulation, by-law or standard.

The Accreditation Committee:

  • May exempt an applicant or veterinary facility from compliance with any qualification, requirement or standard for a Certificate of Accreditation
  • Determines the eligibility of applicants and facilities for Certificates of Accreditation that have been referred to the committee and after considering application for issuance or renewal of the Certificate of Accreditation, may direct Registrar:
  • To issue or to renew the Certificate of Accreditation
  • To refuse to issue or to renew the Certificate of Accreditation
  • To issue or to renew the Certificate of Accreditation subject to the conditions and limitations the Accreditation Committee specifies
  • Reviews existing policy and considers new policy items, as directed by Council, and makes recommendations for changes or additions to/updates of the Accreditation Standards for Veterinary Facilities in Ontario
  • Shall appoint a time for, give notice of and hold a hearing to determine the allegations in respect of a Certificate of Accreditation
  • Make referral to the Registrar over concerns about potential professional misconduct

Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB):

The HPARB is an independent tribunal established by the provincial government whose function is to review decisions of statutory committees of all the regulated health professions in Ontario.

If the facility director of the veterinary facility is not satisfied with a decision of the Accreditation Committee, they have 30 days from receipt of the decision to file an appeal with HPARB.

The powers of HPARB regarding certificates of accreditation are as follows:

  • Confirm the proposed decision of the Accreditation Committee;
  • Require the Accreditation Committee to direct the Registrar to issue or renew a certificate of accreditation for the appropriate class of veterinary facility; or
  • Refer the matter back to the Accreditation Committee for further consideration and the Board may make recommendations.
An accreditation hearing is a quasi-legal proceeding and is a rare occurrence. There have only been two accreditation hearings held at the College. The Registrar may refer the certificate of accreditation to the Accreditation Committee if the Registrar is of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds to believe that,
  1. The holder of the certificate of accreditation, the veterinary facility director or the veterinary facility in respect of which the certificate of accreditation was issued has ceased to meet the qualifications, requirements and standards under the Act,
  2. The veterinary facility in respect of which the certificate of accreditation was issued, is being used, or has been used in contravention of a term, condition or limitation of the certificate of accreditation, or
  3. The veterinary facility in respect of which the certificate of accreditation was issued is being used, or has been used as a veterinary facility of a class other than the class for which the certificate of accreditation was issued or renewed.
After holding a hearing, the Accreditation Committee may direct the Registrar to,
  1. Revoke the certificate of accreditation
  2. Suspend the certificate of accreditation pending the demonstration, in such manner as the Accreditation Committee specifies, of compliance with such standards as are specified by the Accreditation Committee
  3. Change the class of veterinary facility
  4. Impose such new or further terms, conditions and limitations on the certification of accreditation as are specified by the Accreditation Commtitee or
  5. Take no further action

Requesting an Exemption

The Accreditation Committee has the authority to exempt an applicant or veterinary facility from compliance with any qualification, requirement or standard for a Certificate of Accreditation. On rare occasions a licensed member will seek an exemption, which results in a restriction on an aspect of the member's practice. A licensed member would request an exemption only after an inspection has identified a deficiency. 

Exemptions can result in the following: 

  • The Committee can grant the exemption with no corresponding restriction placed on the certificate of accreditation of the veterinary facility; and/or 
  • The Committee grants the exemption requests and there are terms, limitations and conditions placed on the Certificate of Accreditation.


Both types of exemption requests are limitations and will be noted on the College's public register as a condition and limitation on a facility's Certificate of Accreditation. In reviewing a request for an exemption, the Committee can refer the issue(s) to the Registrar for a Registrar's Investigation if the Committee has concerns about potential professional misconduct of a licensed member. This direction would be parallel to the Committee's decision on the Certificate of Accreditation.