When Tara Fung brought her eight-month-old Munchkin cat, Yuen Yuen, to a Hong Kong clinic for a spaying procedure in March 2025, she was informed just two hours later that her pet had died from an allergic reaction to a sedative. Distressed by the sudden loss and unsatisfied with the clinic’s explanations, Fung requested surveillance footage and further details but reported receiving inadequate responses. Believing the incident amounted to medical malpractice, she filed a complaint with the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Hong Kong (VSB). However, the board concluded that malpractice was not the cause.
Fung’s experience is echoed by many pet owners who have raised concerns about veterinary care standards amid the city’s expanding pet industry. The VSB’s handling of complaints has faced increased scrutiny following an announcement in May by the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the board’s administrative and secretariat services. The Ombudsman highlighted recurrent problems with complicated complaint procedures and prolonged case management. It also criticized the board for significant delays in publicizing professional misconduct rulings, which limits consumers’ ability to make informed choices.
Over the last five years, the VSB received 248 complaints, with nearly 75% involving allegations of neglecting professional responsibilities toward animals. The remainder primarily concerned client communication and billing disputes. Despite the volume of complaints, fewer than 20% resulted in penalties against veterinarians. Data from the board indicated that 86% of disciplined vets were allowed to continue practicing, provided they accepted reprimands or completed mandatory continuing education. Approximately 60% were reprimanded and required to undergo retraining, while less than 10% faced license suspensions ranging from three to six months.
The VSB also contends with a backlog of cases trapped at the preliminary investigation stage. By the end of 2025, 63% of complaints filed that year were still under preliminary review, along with 25% of cases from the previous year. While the board reported improvements in processing speed—reducing average case durations from 10.4 months in 2021 to six months last year—some investigations have extended for years. One ongoing case has taken nearly four years to resolve.
Veterinarian Alexander Thomson, formerly practicing in the city and now an assistant clinical professor at Cornell University, described his experience with the board’s slow procedures after a complaint was lodged against him in 2023. Despite submitting a prompt and thorough response, his case remained unresolved for two years. Thomson expressed concern that such delays hindered respondents’ ability to defend themselves and allowed potential malpractice to persist unchecked.
The VSB stated that its disciplinary inquiry hearings follow principles of fairness and justice similar to court proceedings, necessitating time for scheduling and evidence gathering. Complex cases involving multiple practitioners, law enforcement, or foreign experts can prolong the process further. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), which provides administrative and financial support to the board, emphasized recent efforts to improve efficiency. Since 2020, the VSB increased its membership from 10 to 19, expanded secretariat staff, and formed an 18-member panel of assessors. Moving hearings to the AFCD complex in Kai Tak has also eased scheduling challenges.
Nevertheless, lawmaker Gary Chan Hakkaan noted ongoing dissatisfaction among the public. He criticized the relatively mild penalties and pointed to difficulties faced by pet owners, who must secure their own medical or autopsy reports to pursue complaints. Chan called for greater transparency to help consumers identify veterinarians with multiple complaints and improve accountability within the profession.