Maryland to Conduct a Full Sunset Review of the Veterinary Board for the First Time in 30 Years

Good news for Maryland Animal Lovers! For the first time since 1989 legislation will be introduced to provide for a full Sunset Review of the Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. The 1989 review found that the Maryland Vet Board was SO biased against consumers that it recommended the board be stripped of its complaint function. They found that the Board was loathe to discipline members of its own profession, and recommended that the complaint process be vested in a separate panel with access to veterinary experts. Sadly for me and for other pet owners, no action was taken on that recommendation, and the board has continued to operate without this important recommended change. Many consumers, myself included, have first-hand experiences with the board's hostility toward pet owners who file complaints, its bias in favor of veterinarians; we observe that the board does not take disciplinary action in some truly horrific cases, and that when they do act, we believe those actions are insufficient to deter future negligence, incompetence, or abuse.