Complaints about veterinary practitioners

The Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria investigates complaints about the professional conduct of veterinary practitioners registered in Victoria. You can make a complaint by completing and submitting the complaint form on this page.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Please download and read this factsheet before you make a complaint.
  • The Board only accepts complaint forms which include the full name of the veterinary practitioner who treated the animal. The Board cannot investigate complaints against a veterinary clinic or a veterinary worker who is not a veterinary practitioner.
  • If your complaint is against more than one veterinary practitioner, you must complete a separate form for each veterinary practitioner.
  • COVID-19 CHANGES: If one of your concerns is that you were not able to be in the same room as your animal, please be aware that to comply with the Chief Health Officer's Workplace Directions veterinary businesses must implement social distancing measures. Veterinary businesses may require clients to wear masks, and some clinics may have a policy not to permit clients inside clinics and instead communicate with them over the phone while their animal is being examined inside.
  • The Board has no jurisdiction over fees charged. If the complaint is about the fees set by a veterinary practitioner, please contact the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
  • The Board cannot investigate a complaint that falls under the control of another statutory authority or an organisation given specific powers under other legislation.
  • The Board may not be able to take action on an anonymous complaint or a complaint that is not in writing.
  • You can also call us on 03 9620 7444 if you have any questions

Complaint form

OPTION 1 - Fillable PDF form to complete in Adobe Reader or Acrobat

  1. Download and save the complaint form below to your computer.
  2. Open the saved complaint form in Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat.
  3. Complete the form on screen using Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat. DO NOT complete the form using non-Adobe applications like Apple Preview or PDF plugins in browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, etc
  4. Print the declaration and consent permission page of the complaint form, obtain signatures from relevant people, then scan or take a photo of it
  5. Email the completed complaint form, the scanned declaration and consent page, and all supporting documents, to [email protected] (or print and post all documents to Vetboard Victoria | PO Box 247 | Collins Street West VIC 8007).
  6. REMEMBER: The Board only accepts complaint forms which include the full name of the veterinary practitioner who treated the animal.  

OPTION 2 - Printable form to print and handwrite

  1. Print the complaint form and complete it by hand. 
  2. REMEMBER: The Board only accepts complaint forms which include the full name of the veterinary practitioner who treated the animal
  3. Attach copies of evidence to the form. NOTE we do not accept video files on USBs or hard disks.
  4. Return the form by either scanning and emailing it back to [email protected] (if you do not have access to email you can post the form to Vetboard Victoria | PO Box 247 | Collins Street West VIC 8007)

Your privacy

The Board will only use and disclose personal information about you for the purpose of conducting a complaint investigation, unless we have obtained your consent to use the information for additional purposes. More information: view the Board's Privacy and Data Protection Policy.

After the Board investigates your complaint

If you are unhappy with the way the Board has investigated your complaint, you can raise your concerns with the Victorian Ombudsman by:
  • completing an online complaint form at www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au
  • calling (03) 9613 6222 or 1800 806 314 (regional areas). 

More information about the role of the Victorian Ombudsman: www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/complaints