How to File a Complaint

Complaint Registration Form and Records Waiver Authorization

• A complaint is a report that a veterinarian or non-veterinarian may have violated the Veterinary Practice Act
• The Board’s authority to investigate complaints is limited to:
  • Individuals licensed with the Board of Veterinary Medicine
  • Applicants for licensure with the Board of Veterinary Medicine
  • Individuals practicing veterinary medicine without a license
  • Professional firms registered to practice veterinary medicine

• NOTE: Veterinary technicians are not licensed or registered in Minnesota.

• To file a complaint, download the Complaint Registration Form
  • A complaint must be filed in writing
  • Complaints may be submitted via email attachment, fax, or mail
  • Please make sure you have signed the documents before sending them to the Board office

• Submit the Complaint Registration Form with a detailed description of your concerns and any information you think the Board should know. Use as many pages as needed. For example:
  • Provide as much detail about the people involved as you can (full name, address, phone       number, place of employment, license number if known, etc.)
  • What happened? Who did what, where, when, and why?
  • Were others involved? If so, describe each person’s involvement or role.
  • Arrange information in order by date or some other logical way as if you are explaining the situation to someone who knows nothing about it
  • If the animal was seen by another veterinary clinic before or after these events, include the name and location of the clinic.
  • Include past health history of the animal if relevant.
  • If you were provided with components of the medical record from the veterinarian who is the subject of the complaint, please include copies or scans of those records.
  • Include copies of any documents, photos, videos, advertisements, or websites that might help the Board understand your complaint.

• For complete information, review the following resources:

• Complaint Investigation and Resolution Process
• Complaint Investigation and Resolution Process Flow Chart
• Minnesota Data Practice Laws & Rules

What Happens Next?

When a written complaint is received by this Board, the first step is to determine if the allegations pertain to the Veterinary Practice Act and Rules of the Board of Veterinary Medicine. If not, then the Board has no jurisdiction and the complainant is informed that no action will be taken.

The majority of the complaints are jurisdictional, so once received, a confidential investigation begins. The person who filed the complaint (complainant) may only know that the investigation is ongoing. However, additional materials can be added to the original complaint by the complainant during the investigation process. 

1. For the most serious complaints, if credible evidence suggests that continued practice by a veterinarian poses an imminent risk of serious harm to the public or animals, the veterinarian’s license can be temporarily suspended. This triggers a rapid legal process wherein both the Board and the veterinarian present their evidence at a hearing with an administrative law judge. After weighing the evidence, the judge provides an opinion on whether the suspension was justified. If so, further disciplinary proceedings usually follow. These proceedings could result in a disciplinary order which continues the suspension until the veterinarian meets specified requirements, a stayed suspension limiting the type of veterinary work the veterinarian can do, or license revocation.

2. For complaints where additional evidence is needed from owners, staff or other veterinarians, additional investigation may be requested by the Board. A trained investigator from the Office of the Attorney General will seek further information regarding the complaint. This typically may include interviews, subpoena of records, and site visits. The evidence is compiled, interpreted, and provided to the Board.  This process may take many weeks. 

3. For most complaints, the investigation proceeds as follows after the complaint was received:

a) A letter of inquiry is sent to the subject of the complaint, summarizing the allegations and requiring a written response within 30 days. If the subject of the complaint is a veterinarian, the medical record for the animal(s) that are described in the complaint must also be submitted. Medical records may also be requested from another veterinary practice that was involved in the care of the patient.

b) During this process, the subject of the complaint has the right to be represented by an attorney. That attorney may request additional time for preparation at most points during the process.

c) Once a letter of response is received from the subject of the complaint, all of the complaint materials and any prior complaints against the veterinarian(s) in question are reviewed by a Complaint Review Committee comprised of two Board members. There are 5 Complaint Review Committees: two for small animal complaints, one for large animal complaints, and one for complaints alleging impairment. Each Committee has at least one veterinarian. All Complaint Review Committee members are members of the Board of Veterinary Medicine and appointed by the Governor.

d) The Committee members discuss the issues and evidence in the complaint materials and determine if a violation of statutes or rules is likely. If not, the complaint is dismissed, and both the subject of the complaint and the complainant are notified. This stage of the complaint process usually takes several weeks.

e) The Committee members may determine that further investigation is needed at this point as well. This may include requesting more medical records, an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General and/or a conference with the subject of the complaint. These processes take additional weeks, depending on the complexity of the complaint. If the subject of the complaint is not a veterinarian, the Committee may request a Cease and Desist Order, which orders the person to cease the practice of veterinary medicine.

f) Following review of the available information and outcome of a conference with the veterinarian who is the subject of the complaint, the Committee may dismiss the complaint. More often, the Committee proposes corrective action or disciplinary action. The veterinarian may agree to the proposed solution, make a counter proposal, or refuse to agree to the proposal. This process can be very long, and may involve a hearing before an administrative law judge. The person who filed the complaint and the subject of the complaint are given notice every 4 months that the investigation of the complaint is still ongoing.

g) If the Committee and the veterinarian sign an Agreement for Corrective Action, the person who filed the complaint is informed and provided with the Agreement. The Agreement is also posted on the Board’s website and reported to a national database.

h) If the Committee and veterinarian agree to disciplinary action, entitled a Stipulation and Order, this must be reviewed by the entire Board for approval. Once approved, the person who filed the complaint is informed and provided with the Stipulation and Order. The Order is also posted on the Board’s website and reported to a national database.

i) If an Agreement for Corrective Action or Stipulation and Order has been issued, the Board’s executive director tracks compliance with all of the requirements. Once all of the requirements have been met, this completion is noted on the Board’s website. However, for a Stipulation and Order, the Board must vote for the veterinarian’s license to no longer be conditioned (restricted). This vote occurs at the next meeting of the Board after all of the requirements are completed, which may add more weeks to the complaint’s resolution.