Before becoming a national registry, RAAHP Canada had its origin in British Columbia.  

The BC Animal Owners Association (BCAOA) formed in 2017 as the result of a group of animal owners that utilized complementary non-veterinary therapies for their animals and pets, who began having difficulty accessing these valuable therapies. They took their concerns to the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and had a meeting with then Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Lana Popham. The Ministry tasked the BCAOA with bringing the various non-veterinary health professions to the table for discussions. The non-veterinary health professions eventually joined together and worked with the BCAOA for a several years engaging in multiple government discussions and beginning to formulate a plan for professional self-regulation.

During negotiations with the Ministry of Agriculture and Foods, the BCAOA and the practitioners highlighted the restrictiveness of the BC Veterinarians Act & Bylaws which forbid non-veterinary animal health practitioners from treating animals without restrictive veterinary supervision.  As a result of similar issues in other provinces, it was determined that a national registry was needed to serve as a regulatory framework for qualified professionals that meet and maintain high standards of education and training in their fields of practice. 

RAAHP Canada was established in 2021 to fulfill that need. Animal owners and veterinarians can have confidence that RAAHP Canada registered practitioners demonstrate commitment to excellence in education, ethics, and professional standards and are committed to the highest level of care in the treatment of their animal patients.