AAAIP
AAAIP is a non-profit professional membership organization that provides courses, C-AAIS certification, workplace-based evaluations, and liability insurance for paid practitioners — educators, healthcare providers, and mental health professionals — who integrate therapy animals into their professional practice.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBellevue, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What AAAIP does
AAAIP (Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals) is a non-profit professional membership organization founded in 2022 and headquartered in Bellevue, WA, serving paid practitioners — including educators, healthcare providers, mental health professionals, and dog trainers — who integrate therapy animals into their professional practice in schools, clinics, hospitals, and offices. The organization occupies the professional counterpart to Pet Partners' volunteer-focused mission and provides a vertically integrated stack of self-paced online courses, the C-AAIS certification exam, workplace-based Evaluation for Professionals, and professional liability insurance (distributed via The Business Insurers of the Carolinas), all gated behind tiered membership (Digital, All-Access, Organizational).
The underlying technology is a conventional Learning Management System delivering self-paced online courses with interactive activities, knowledge checks, certificates, and accessibility features (closed captions, screen reader compatibility, keyboard shortcuts, playback speed controls, zoom). Proprietary intellectual property centers on the C-AAIS certification (five domains: Animal Welfare, Zoonosis Prevention, Animal Behavior Awareness, AAI Foundations, Professional Best Practices), the workplace-based Evaluation for Professionals methodology, and the Diamond Model of AAI Delivery — a structured four-participant framework for group or professional-led sessions. Course pricing ranges from $90 to $270 with member discounts up to 50%, insurance starts at $250/year, and the C-AAIS Study Guide is free for members.
AAAIP generates revenue through five streams: tiered membership subscriptions (recurring), individual course sales (one-time perpetual licenses), the C-AAIS certification exam (one-time), professional liability insurance (annual recurring, $250+), and Evaluation for Professionals services (one-time, biennial re-evaluation). Go-to-market is sales-led, primarily self-serve through the aaaiponline.org website and aaaip.memberclicks.net member portal, supplemented by monthly educational webinars, content marketing (blog, white papers, glossary), and organic social on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. The organization operates with only 5 employees and currently serves primarily U.S.-based professionals with global digital reach.
AAAIP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AAAIP
- Legal name
- Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals
- Website
- https://aaaiponline.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- AAAIP is a non-profit professional membership organization that provides courses, C-AAIS certification, workplace-based evaluations, and liability insurance for paid practitioners — educators, healthcare providers, and mental health professionals — who integrate therapy animals into their professional practice.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where AAAIP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellevue
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
AAAIP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Tiered annual membership program (Digital, All-Access, Organizational) providing access to courses at discounted rates, free certification exam savings, free event attendance, member-only resources, and professional community access.
- Online Course Sales: Self-paced online courses covering AAI topics including Best Practices in Therapy Animal Handling, Canine Body Language, Therapy & Facility Dog Training, Tools for Schools Bundle, and more. Courses are priced at different tiers for members vs non-members.
- Professional Certification (C-AAIS): Certification exam for Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialists that validates professional knowledge of best practices. Offered at discounted rates for members.
- Professional Liability Insurance: General liability insurance specifically designed for professionals working with therapy animals. Annual policy starting at $250 plus taxes and fees, covering accidents during sessions and injuries to therapy animals. Optional $25,000 professional liability add-on available.
- Evaluation Services: Workplace-based evaluation of professional therapy animal teams conducted by trained assessors. Re-evaluation required every two years.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mastering Therapy Dog Handling Course Bundle - Regular Price |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Canine Body Language Course Pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Therapy & Facility Dog Training for Dog Trainers Course Pricing |
| Subscription | Annual | Professional Liability Insurance |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | C-AAIS Study Guide |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
AAAIP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AAAIP (Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals) is a non-profit professional membership organization serving educators, healthcare providers, mental health professionals, and dog trainers who partner with therapy animals in schools, clinics, and offices. Its core offerings are self-paced online courses on AAI best practices, the C-AAIS professional certification exam, workplace-based Evaluation for Professionals for therapy animal teams, professional liability insurance distributed through partner insurers, and a tiered membership program (Digital, All-Access, Organizational) providing discounts and community access.
Product overview
AAAIP (Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals) operates as a professional membership organization providing an integrated ecosystem of education, certification, evaluation, and insurance services for professionals working with therapy animals in schools, clinics, and offices. The core product portfolio centers on self-paced online courses (including Getting Started in AAI, Best Practices in Therapy Animal Handling, Canine Body Language, Zoonotic Disease Prevention, and Animal Welfare courses), the C-AAIS certification exam, workplace-based Evaluation for Professionals for therapy animal teams, professional liability insurance, and membership programs with tiered access. Additional offerings include white papers, study guides, and professional events/webinars. The courses are designed for busy professionals, feature closed captions and accessibility options, and are grounded in national competencies and best practices developed by AAI field experts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Getting Started in AAI Course
- Best Practices in Therapy Animal Handling Course
- Tools for Schools Course Bundle
- Therapy & Facility Dog Training for Dog Trainers Course
- Canine Body Language Course
- Mastering Therapy Dog Handling Course Bundle
- Zoonotic Disease Prevention Course
- The Case for Animal-Related Engagement Course
- Training & Communications in AAI Course
- Animal Welfare & Well-Being Course
- C-AAIS Certification (Certified Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialist)
- Evaluation for Professionals
- Professional Liability Insurance
- AAAIP Membership
Quantifiable outcome
- Therapy animals can reduce patient-reported pain, accelerate recovery, lower anxiety and stress, and improve participation in treatment
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use AAAIP
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
AAAIP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
AAAIP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Pet PartnersflagshipAAAIP operates as a sister organization to Pet Partners, which serves volunteers working with therapy animals. The organizations collaborate on white papers and standards development. Pet Partners developed the Standards of Practice for AAI that AAAIP references for professionals working with or overseeing volunteer teams. This relationship provides AAAIP with established credibility and a foundation of professional standards.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AAAIP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- American Occupational Therapy Association: The national professional association for occupational therapists offering membership, certification, CEUs, and liability insurance. Comparable to AAAIP's integrated membership + certification + insurance model as it relates to OTs integrating therapy animals in clinical practice.
- International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO): The international umbrella organization for human-animal interaction associations, setting global standards and guidelines. Comparable to AAAIP as a governing body in the AAI field, though broader in scope and not focused on individual professional certification.
- American Counseling Association: A large professional membership organization representing licensed counselors. Comparable to AAAIP as a model for tiered professional membership serving counselors—one of AAAIP's primary customer segments (mental health professionals integrating therapy animals).
- HABRI (Human Animal Bond Research Institute): A nonprofit research and education organization that funds and disseminates scientific research on the health benefits of human-animal interaction. Comparable to AAAIP's white paper and educational content mission in advancing evidence-based AAI practice.
Direct peers
- Love on a Leash: A therapy dog organization offering certification and registration for therapy dog teams. Comparable to AAAIP's therapy animal evaluation services, with similar volunteer-based membership model but less focus on the paid professional segment.
- Pet Partners: The leading volunteer therapy animal organization and AAAIP's self-described sister organization. Both certify and evaluate therapy animal teams, but Pet Partners focuses on volunteers while AAAIP serves paid professionals. The shared Standards of Practice and overlapping evaluation frameworks make them the most directly comparable peer.
- Alliance of Therapy Dogs: A national therapy dog registration and certification organization providing testing and registration for volunteer therapy dog teams. Comparable to AAAIP's evaluation and certification services, though focused on volunteers rather than paid professionals in clinical or educational settings.
- Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program: Pet Partners' core therapy animal handler and animal evaluation program. Directly overlaps with AAAIP's Evaluation for Professionals service and shares operational history through the sister-organization relationship.
Emerging players
- Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT): An independent certification body for professional dog trainers offering credentials and CEU-eligible courses. AAAIP's Therapy & Facility Dog Training course awards 4 CEUs toward CCPDT certification, demonstrating direct professional adjacency and overlap in training standards.
Regional players
- Assistance Dogs International: A coalition of assistance dog organizations setting standards for service, guide, and hearing dogs. Comparable to AAAIP in establishing professional standards for animal-human service work, though focused on assistance (task-trained) dogs rather than therapy (visitation) animals.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AAAIP social profiles
Digital presenceAAAIP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AAAIP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
AAAIP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AAAIP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AAAIP
What does AAAIP do?
AAAIP (Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals) is a non-profit professional membership organization serving educators, healthcare providers, mental health professionals, and dog trainers who partner with therapy animals in schools, clinics, and offices. Its core offerings are self-paced online courses on AAI best practices, the C-AAIS professional certification exam, workplace-based Evaluation for Professionals for therapy animal teams, professional liability insurance distributed through partner insurers, and a tiered membership program (Digital, All-Access, Organizational) providing discounts and community access.
Is AAAIP a public or private company?
AAAIP is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was AAAIP founded?
AAAIP was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is AAAIP based?
AAAIP is headquartered in Bellevue, United States, in the North America region.
How does AAAIP make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are online Course Sales, professional Certification (C-AAIS), professional Liability Insurance and evaluation Services.
Who are AAAIP's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are American Occupational Therapy Association, International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO), American Counseling Association and HABRI (Human Animal Bond Research Institute). Direct peers are Love on a Leash, Pet Partners, Alliance of Therapy Dogs and Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program. Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) is listed as an emerging player. Assistance Dogs International is listed as a regional player.
Does AAAIP have an API?
No public API is recorded for AAAIP.