- Early 1900’s – 1930’s – The Palmer School of Chiropractic maintained a Veterinarian hospital where they could adjust the vertebral subluxations of sick animals as well as offering a Doctor of Chiropractic-Veterinary Degree.
- 1986 – First Animal Chiropractic Conference was held at Life University in Georgia.
- 1987 – Dr. Sharon Willoughby starts and becomes Director of the Options for Animals Foundation “to provide educational material for the animal chiropractor so that the health of animals everywhere can be improved”.
- 1987 – On August 1, Dr. Willoughby holds the first day-long Modern Equine Chiropractic Workshop at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic.
- 1989 – The American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA) was formed. Dr. Willoughby was chosen as President and charged with developing an educational animal chiropractic program for chiropractors and veterinarians. Later that year, Options for Animals School of Animal Chiropractic was established in Port Byron, Illinois. Also called the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association School, the course consisted of four modules in a 100 hour educational program.
- 1990 – The first class graduates and is certified in animal chiropractic by the AVCA.
- 1994 – Options for Animals takes its Animal Chiropractic Course to Australia, teaching for the Post Graduate Division of the Veterinary School at the University of Sydney.
- 2000 – Dr. Sharon Willoughby retires and splits the AVCA into two parts. She retains Options for Animals School of Animal Chiropractic, and gives the naming rights of the AVCA to a new professional association of animal chiropractors based in Blue Jacket, Oklahoma. All past, present and future aspects of the animal chiropractic school will now be referred to as Options for Animals.
- 2003 – Options for Animals is sold to past AVCA Board Members and long standing Options instructors: Dr. Heidi Bockhold and Dr. Drew Spisak. The curriculum is expanded to five modules consisting of over 210 hours of education.
- 2003 – Options for Animals takes its Animal Chiropractic Course to Sittensen, Germany, and has been teaching there at the International Academy for Veterinary Chiropractic ever since.
- 2004 – Options collaborates with Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City.
- 2005 – Options for Animals opens a brand new campus and school, built specifically for the teaching of Integrative Veterinary Health Care (Animal Chiropractic), in Wellsville, Kansas.
Thousands of Chiropractors and Veterinarians, from 30 countries around the world, have graduated from Options.
- 2005 – Options for Animals takes its Animal Chiropractic Course to England, and has been teaching there at the Anglo European College of Chiropractic ever since.
- 2006 – 2012 Options Instructors lecture at many veterinary schools and conferences including UC Davis, K-State, University of Minnesota, University of Florida, NAVC, AAEP, CVC, and Western States.
- 2008 – 2013 Dr. Eschbach and Options for Animals make personal appearances, presentations and testify at many state boards of veterinary medicine and chiropractic, including Alaska, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, Nevada, and Georgia.
- 2012 – Options for Animals Introduction to Animal Chiropractic Course is taught at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic as a selective and becomes the first animal chiropractic course to be taught as part of a Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) accredited chiropractic curriculum.
- 2013 – Options expands its educational opportunities for veterinarians and chiropractors as it celebrates its 25th Anniversary!