Vetting Your Pet’s Vet | KXAN Austin

Years ago, Texas lawmakers called on the state agency tasked with licensing and regulating animal doctors to address some ‘concerning’ data reliability issues. Specifically, the agency was supposed to fix its licensee look-up website — a tool that enables pet owners to search for their veterinarian’s disciplinary history. Just months before this agency’s next legislative review, KXAN investigators discovered dozens of disciplinary records still missing from the look-up tool, reporting that resulted in top agency officials resigning and a renewed push for timelier transparency.

Part 1: Missing Records

KXAN identified more than 70 cases where the state agreed to some kind of disciplinary action, but its look-up tool showed no disciplinary documents uploaded for the veterinarians.

Part 2: Backlogged Cases

Only a few hundred licensees have been disciplined over the last five years, while the state reports hundreds of ongoing cases tied up in its legal department — awaiting next steps.

Part 3: Top Officials Resign

The executive director and president of the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners resign amid KXAN’s investigation into the agency, which licenses and regulates animal doctors.

Part 4: Records ‘Rectified’

After KXAN’s coverage, the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners uploads dozens of disciplinary records for veterinarians previously not showing up on the agency’s lookup tool.

Part 5: New Chair Appointed

Following KXAN’s investigations, the governor names Austin attorney Keith Pardue chair of the board to “ensure the best possible quality of veterinary… services for the people of Texas.”

Part 6: Database Problems

Months after a KXAN investigation into problems inside the state veterinary agency, a new legislative report reveals it is still struggling to manage data on animal doctors in the state.

Part 7: ‘Plagued’ With Problems

The Sunset Commission votes to temporarily attach the vet board to a different state agency, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, for the next four years.

Part 8: Vet Board ‘Wake-up Call’

Lawmakers are trying to reform the state agency in charge of Texas animal doctors, but some veterinarians are pushing back against the current treatment plan.