To file a complaint against a veterinarian:

When filing a complaint on a veterinarian, first contact the individual state boards to determine whether the vet has a previous record of complaints, investigations, or disciplinary action. It can be helpful to determine how to proceed with your complaint if you can locate other pet guardians who were harmed by the same vet.

 Note: ONLY the state licensing board has any jurisdiction over a veterinarian’s license. No professional organization, animal rights group, consumer complaint agencies such as the Better Business Bureau, the American Veterinary Medical Association, or any other group has the authority to affect a vet’s license in any way. Filing a complaint with them will bring no formal justice except to provide exposure of the vet’s name in professional circles, which can be indirectly helpful in saving pets’ lives through word of mouth. In some states, vets are also exempt from animal cruelty statutes, and even if a vet is convicted of animal cruelty, he or she does not automatically lose their license. For information on filing a civil lawsuit against a veterinarian, contact an attorney licensed to practice law in your state.

Click on the links below to find the policies and procedures for filing a complaint in your state.

United States Veterinary Boards 

Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners 

Alaska Veterinary Medical Board

Arizona Veterinary Medical Examining Board

Arkansas Veterinary Medical Examining Board

 

California Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine

Colorado Veterinary Medical Examining

Connecticut Board of Veterinary Medicine

 

Delaware Board of Veterinary Medicine

District of Columbia Board of Veterinary Examiners

 

Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine

 

Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine

 

Hawaii Board of Veterinary

 

Idaho Board of Veterinary Medicine

Illinois Veterinary Licensing and Disciplinary Board

Indiana Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine

 

Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners

Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners

 

Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine

 

Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation

Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

Massachusetts Board of Veterinary Medicine

Michigan State Board of Veterinary Medicine

Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine

Mississippi Board of Veterinary Medicine

Missouri Veterinary Medical Board

Montana Board of Veterinary Medicine

 

Nebraska Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine

 

Nevada Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

New Hampshire Board of Veterinary Medicine

New Jersey Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine

New York State Veterinary Board

North Carolina State Veterinary Board

North Dakota State Veterinary Board

 

Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board

Oklahoma State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board

 

Pennsylvania State Board of Veterinary Medicine

 

Rhode Island Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine

 

South Carolina Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

South Dakota Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

 

Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

 

Utah Veterinary Board

 

Vermont State Veterinary Board

Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine

 

Washington Veterinary Board of Governors

Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board

Wyoming Board Veterinary Medicine

 

 

International Veterinary Boards

Newfoundland and Labrador

New South Wales

New Zealand

Ontario

South Africa

South Australia

Tasmania

United Kingdom: Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Victoria

West Australia

 

Related links:

The Veterinary Abuse Network

Veterinary Incompetence, Malpractice, and Negligence