Concerns about veterinary practitioners

The Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria receives, assesses and investigates concerns submitted about the professional conduct or health of veterinary practitioners registered in Victoria. Before notifying us of your concerns about a veterinary practitioner, we encourage you to watch the videos on this page about how you can raise your concerns.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Before you notify the Board of your concerns about a veterinary practitioner, please watch the videos below and read the summary factsheets underneath the videos.
  • If you decide to notify the Board about your concerns, please complete the notification form below the videos. The form must 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 concerns are about more than one veterinary practitioner, you must complete a separate form for each veterinary practitioner.
  • The Board has no jurisdiction over fees charged. If your concerns are about the fees set by a veterinary business, please contact the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
  • The Board cannot investigate concerns that are under the control of another statutory authority or an organisation with specific powers under other laws.
  • The Board may not be able to take action on anonymous concerns or concerns that are not in writing.

What do veterinary boards do?

How should I raise my concerns about a vet?

What will happen after I notify the veterinary board about my concerns?

Notification form

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

  1. Download and save the form below to your computer.
  2. Open the saved 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 form, obtain signatures from relevant people, then scan or take a photo of it
  5. Email the completed 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
    NOTE if posting your form, please only send copies of photos  and other documents as originals will not be returned. The Board does not accept video files on USBs or hard disks..
  6. REMEMBER: The Board only accepts forms which include the full name of the veterinary practitioner who treated the animal.  

OPTION 2 - Download form to print and handwrite

  1. Print the form and complete it by hand. 
  2. REMEMBER: The Board only accepts forms which include the full name of the veterinary practitioner who treated the animal
  3. Attach copies of evidence to the form.
    NOTE if posting your form, please only send copies of photos  and other documents as originals will not be returned. The Board does 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 assessing and investigating your concerns, 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 concerns

If you are unhappy with the way the Board has investigated your concerns, 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