Have a complaint about a licensed veterinarian, other licensee, or an unlicensed individual practicing in the Commonwealth of Kentucky? The Kentucky Veterinary Practice Act declares that the practice of veterinary medicine is a privilege which is granted by legislative authority in the interest of public health, safety, and welfare. The mission of the KBVE is to carry out the General Assembly’s mandate, stated in
KRS 321.175, to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth from being misled by incompetent, unscrupulous, and unauthorized practitioners, and to protect the Commonwealth’s citizens and animals from unprofessional or illegal practices by those persons who are licensed to practice veterinary medicine in this jurisdiction and those persons who practice without a license.
Upon receipt of a completed Grievance Form, the KBVE shall assign a case number and shall issue a request for response to the party against whom the grievance is filed (i.e., the "respondent") pursuant to
201 KAR 16:610. The request will include a copy of the Grievance Form and all attachments. After receiving a response back from the respondent, the KBVE Complaints Screening Committee shall review the grievance, the response, and all supporting documentation. Lack of a response does not limit the board from proceeding. If an investigation is warranted, a KBVE-appointed investigator shall conduct further research and return to the committee with additional information. Once a complaint has been fully reviewed by the Board, involved parties shall be contacted in writing informing them of any recommended courses of action to be taken or other determinations by the KBVE.
If your address changes during the period of a complaint process, please notify the KBVE of your new address and telephone number to assure that you continue to receive all correspondence from the Board Office.
Grievances filed by anonymous complainants are accepted by the Board, but because of the records required to make an informed decision in any case, such grievances do not often lead to the opening of a formal complaint.
Pursuant to
KRS 61.878(1)(h), documents obtained or generated during the investigation of a complaint are shielded from disclosure /kept confidential. When the investigation is complete, documents obtained or generated during an investigation are available to the public (other than privileged documents).