Filing a Board Complaint Against a Veterinarian 

Scroll Down to Links to United States Veterinary Boards Below

Unfortunately, in the United States only the state licensing boards have any jurisdiction over a veterinarian's license, meaning only they have the power to authorize disciplinary action or fines.

No other organization, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), state VMAs, humane societies, the governor's office, the Better Business Bureau or any other group can discipline a vet; filing a complaint with any of those will bring no accountability. However, you may wish to copy them on your complaint in order to get exposure for what the veterinarian did. 

You may have some recourse with the state's Office of Consumer Affairs or the Attorney General's office in cases involving fraudulent advertising, but they would not usually be involved in cases of malpractice and violation of state's statutes. They will likely circle you back to the state board. 

In some states, veterinarians are also exempt from animal cruelty statutes, and even if a vet is convicted of animal cruelty in a criminal court, he or she does not automatically lose their license. 

To begin the complaint process:

1. Get complete copies of your pet's medical records from all facilities involved if you haven't done so. Keep in mind that the vet will likely begin tampering with the medical record as soon as he or she realizes that there may be a problem. Examples of this can be adding or deleting entries from a patient chart, destroying records, altering existing chart entries, making notes after the fact and even after the patient has died, removing documents or other items from the patient file, or having staff members and/or veterinary technicians do any of the above. The sooner you can get those files, the better.

If you have any difficulty getting copies of your pet's records from the vets (some vets are very good at stalling), notify your state board. They will usually help you obtain the records.

This is why I always recommend getting copies of records after every visit. If your set of copies differs from what the vet has, that vet is going to have a problem explaining to the board investigators why and how that happened.

2.  Find your state board contact info below, or by doing an Internet search. Boards frequently change their links. I try to update as much as possible, but if any of the links below don't work, do a search.

3. Call or write your state veterinary board to 1) verify that the vet has a valid license to practice in that state, and 2) find out if the vet has a previous record of complaints, investigations, or disciplinary action. Also find out the statute of limitations, i.e., the time limit you have to file the complaint. 

NOTE: Keep in mind that even if you discover that a vet has no disciplinary action, this does not mean that complaints haven't been filed. Most states will not disclose the existence of previous complaints if they were dismissed, and unfortunately most complaints are dismissed. 

Also, when checking a vet's disciplinary record, do not let the board staff divert you to their web site to check on a vet's disciplinary action - in Texas, for example, the board deliberately omit many disciplinary actions from their web site. Always ask for that information over the phone because they MUST provide that info either orally or in writing. All disciplinary action taken against vets in every state is PUBLIC RECORD. If it turns out your vet has a record, ask for copies of everything that is public record associated with the case. 

4. Download a copy of the complaint form, or ask to have one mailed to you. Follow the instructions on the form, and attach your own account if necessary, including the names of any second opinions who saw your pet after the vet you are filing on. 

5. Be patient. Some states are better than others in terms of response time. Follow up at regular intervals (every two or three weeks) if you haven't heard anything. It's not unusual for some investigations to take up to a year or more, but if your complaint has saved ONE life or ONE pet owner from going through what you have, it will be worth it. 

Some tips:

 

 

 

 

Click on the links below to begin the complaint process at your state's veterinary board.

Good luck. If you have any questions, contact me at info@vetabusenetwork.com  

 

NOTE: State board links often change. If any of the links below are broken, Google the name of your state and the phrase state veterinary board.

 

United States Veterinary Boards   

Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

8 Commerce Street – Suite 910
Montgomery, AL 36130-5330
Phone: 334.262.8068
Fax: 334.262.8716

 

Alaska Veterinary Medical Board

P.O. Box 110806

Juneau, AK 99811-0806

Phone: 907.465.2542

Fax: 907.465.2974

 

Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board

1400 W. Washington, Room 240

Phoenix, AZ 85007

Phone: 602.364-1PET (1738)

Fax: 602.364.1039

 

Arkansas Veterinary Medical Examining Board

P.O. Box 8505

Little Rock, AR 72215

Phone: 501.224.2836

Fax: 501.224.1100

 

 

California Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine  

2005 Evergreen Street

Suite 2250

Sacramento, CA 95815-3831

Phone:: 916.263.2610

Licensing Fax: 916.263.2621

Enforcement Fax: 916.263.0311

 


Colorado Veterinary Medical Examining Board

1560 Broadway, Suite 1310
Denver, CO 80202-5146

303.894.7755

Connecticut Board of Veterinary Medicine

410 Capitol Avenue, MS #13PHO

P.O. Box 340308

Hartford, CT 06134-0308

Phone: 860.509.7603

Fax: 860.509.8457

 

   

Delaware Board of Veterinary Medicine  

Cannon Building

Suite 203

861 Silver Lake Blvd.

Dover, DE 19904

Phone: 302.744.4500

Fax: 302.739.2711

 

 

District of Columbia Board of Veterinary Examiners

717 14th Street, NW

Suite 600

Washington, DC 20005

Phone: 877.672.2174

Fax: 202.727.8471

   

Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine  

Division of Professions

1940 North Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0783

Phone: 850.487.1395

 

 

Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine  

237 Coliseum Drive

Macon, GA 31217-3858

Phone: 478.207.2440

 

Hawaii Board of Veterinary  

King Kalakaua Building 

US Post Office Custom House and Court House

335 Merchant Street

Honolulu, HI 96813

Phone: 808.587.3295 or 808.587.3222

 

Idaho Board of Veterinary Medicine  

Idaho State Board of Veterinary Medicine
P.O. Box 7249
Boise, ID 83707

Phone: 208.332.8588

Fax: 208.334.2170

 

 

Illinois Veterinary Licensing and Disciplinary Board  

320 West Washington Street
Springfield, Illinois 62786

217.785.0820 or toll free 888-4REGUL8 (888-473-4858)

 

 

Indiana Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners  

402 W. Washington Street, Room W072

Indianapolis, IN 46204

317.234.2054

 

Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine  

Wallace State Office Building

502 E. 9th St.

Des Moines, IA 50319

515-281-5321

 

Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners

1003 Lincoln St.

P.O. Box 242

Wamego, KS 66547-0242

785.456.8781

 

Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners

911 Leawood Drive

Frankfort, KY 40601

Phone: 

Fax: 

 

Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine  

263 Third Street, Suite 104

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Phone: 225.342.2176

Fax: 225.342.2142

 

 

Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation  

35 State House Station

Augusta, ME 04333-0035

Phone: 207.624.8689

Fax: 207.624.8637

 

Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners 

50 Harry Truman Pkwy.

Annapolis, MD 21401

410-841-5700

 

Massachusetts Board of Veterinary Medicine 

1000 Washington Street, Suite 710

Boston, MA 02118-6100

Phone: 617.727.3074

Fax: 617.727.1944

Consumer Line: 617.727.7406

 

 

Michigan State Board of Veterinary Medicine  

P. O. Box 30670
Lansing, MI 48909

517.335.0918

Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine

2829 University Ave. SE, Suite 540

Minneapolis, MN 55414

Phone: 651.201.2844

Fax: 651.201.2842

 

Mississippi Board of Veterinary Medicine  

Mississippi Board of Veterinary Medicine
209 South Lafayette Street
Starkville, MS 39759
662.324.9380

 

Missouri Veterinary Medical Board  

3605 Missouri Boulevard
P.O. Box 633
Jefferson City, MO  65102-0633
Phone: 573.751.0031 
Fax: 573.526.3856 

Montana Board of Veterinary Medicine  

Montana Board of Veterinary Medicine
P. O. Box 200513
301 South Park
Helena, MT 59620
406.841.2394

 

Nebraska Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine  

301 Centennial Mall South
P. O. Box 94986
Lincoln, NE 68509
402.471.3121

 

Nevada Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners  

4600 Kietzke Lane, Bldg. O, #265
Reno, NV 89502
702.688.1808

New Hampshire Board of Veterinary Medicine  

P. O. Box 2042
Concord, NH 03302
(603) 271-3706

Fax: 603.271.1109


New Jersey Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners  

P. O. Box 45020
Newark, NJ 07101
973.504.6500

 

 

New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine  

7301 Jefferson St. NE, Suite C
Albuquerque, NM 87109
505.841.9112

 

 

New York State Veterinary Board 

89 Washington Avenue

Albany, NY

518.474.3852 12234

 

 

North Carolina State Veterinary Board 

P.O.Box 37549
Raleigh , NC 27627
919.854.5601

 

North Dakota State Veterinary Board  

P. O. Box 5001
Bismarck, ND 58502

Phone: 701.328.9540

Fax: 701.224.0435

Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board  

77 South High Street - 16th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: 614.644.5281

Fax: 614.644.9038

 

Oklahoma State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

201 NE 38th Terrace, Suite 1
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Phone: 405. 524.9006

Fax: 405.524.9012

 

 

Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board  

800 N.E. Oregon, Suite 407

Portland, OR 97232

Phone: 971.673.0224

Fax: 971.673.0226

 

 

Pennsylvania State Board of Veterinary Medicine  

P.O. Box 2649

Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649
Phone: 717.783.7134
Fax: 717.787.7769

 

Rhode Island Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine

3 Capitol Hill, Room 104
Providence, RI 02908
Phone: 401.222.2827 ext 100

Fax: 401.222.1272


 

South Carolina Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners 

Synergy Business Park, Kingstree Building

110 Centerview Dr.

Columbia, SC 29210

803.896.4598

 

 

South Dakota Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners  

411 South Fort Street
Pierre, SD 57501-4503
Phone: 605.773.3321

Fax: 605.773.5459

   

 

 

Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners 

227 French Landing, Suite 300

Nashville, TX 37243

615.532.3202 or 800.778.4123

 

Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners  

333 Guadalupe Street Tower III Suite 810
Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: 512.305.7555
Complaints only: 1.800.821.3205
Fax: 512.305.7556

 

Utah Veterinary Board  

160 East 300 South

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Phone: 801.530.6628

Toll free in Utah: 866.275.3675

Fax: 801.530.6511

 

 

Vermont State Veterinary Board  

National Life Building, FL2

Montpelier, VT 05620-3402

802.828.1505

 

Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine  

Perimeter Center
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300
Henrico, Virginia 23233-1463
For Licensing: 804.367.4497
All other questions: 804.367.4468
Fax: 804.527.4471
Complaints: 800.533.1560
Automated License Verification: 804.270.6836

 

Washington Veterinary Board of Governors  

310 Israel Road SE

Tumwater, WA 98501

Phone: 360.236.4700

Fax: 360.236.4818

 

 

West Virginia Veterinary Board

5509 Big Tyler Road, Suite 3

Cross Lanes, WV 25313

Phone: 304.776.8032

Fax: 304.776.8255

 

 

Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board  

PO Box 8935
Madison, WI  53708-8935

Phone, local to Madison: 608.266.2112

Phone, outside of Madison: 877.617.1545

 

Wyoming Board Veterinary Medicine

1800 Carey Ave., 4th Floor 

Cheyenne, WY 82002-3507
Phone: 307.777.3507

Fax. 307.777.3508


Puerto Rico Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
PO Box 10200
Santurce, PR 00908-0200
(787) 725-7905

Virgin Islands Board of Veterinary Medicine
48 Sugar Estate
St. Thomas, VI 00802
(340) 774-0117

 

CANADA

Canadian National Examining Board
339 Booth Street
Ottawa, ON K1R 7K1
(613) 236-1162 ext. 116

Alberta Veterinary Medical Board
#100, 8615-149 Street
Edmonton, AB T5R 1B3
(403) 489-5007

British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association
1200 West 73rd Avenue, Suite 155
Vancouver, BC V6P 6G5
(604) 266-3441

Veterinary Medical Board of Manitoba
545 University Crescent
Winnipeg, MB R3T 5S6
(204) 945-7651

New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association
P. O. Box 1065
Moncton, NB E1C 8P2
(506) 851-7654

Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association
15 Cobequid Road
Lower Sackville, NS B2N 5E3
(902) 865-1876

College of Veterinarians of Ontario
2106 Gordon Street
Guelph, ON N1H 1G6
(519) 824-5600

Prince Edward Island Veterinary Medical Association
Kensington Veterinary Clinic
P. O. Box 10
Kensington, PE C0B 1M0
(902) 836-3410

Ordre des Médecins Vétérinaires du Québec
800, ave Sainte-Anne bureau 200
St-Hyacinthe, QU J2S 5C6
(514) 774-1427

Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association
102-108 Research Drive
Saskatoon, SK S7N 3R3
(306) 955-7862

International Veterinary Boards

 

Israel

Germany

Newfoundland and Labrador

New South Wales

New Zealand

Ontario

Singapore

South Africa

South Australia

Tasmania

United Kingdom: Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)

Victoria

West Australia