Related links: 

CANADA

British Columbia (Process Described as "Secretive," The Watchdog, February 26, 2005

ARIZONA

Arizona Office of the Auditor General: Veterinary Board Often Does Not Discipline When Warranted

Veterinary Board Is Lax on Discipline, Some Say, Arizona Daily Star, June 29, 2003

CALIFORNIA

California Joint Committee on Boards: 1997 Sunset Review Report of the California Veterinary Medical Board (pdf)

COLORADO

Colorado Dept. of Regulatory Agencies: 2000 Sunset Review of the Colorado Board of Veterinary Medicine

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Legislature: A Review of the Board of Veterinary Medicine

Mississippi Legislature:  House Bill 805   Senate Bill 2756

OHIO

Ohio Inspector General: State Watchdog Unleashes Report on Veterinary Board

The Curious Case of the Cat in the Incubator : A case of feline mistaken identity reveals the limits of the state veterinary board's usefulness to pet owners. freetimes.com, 2005

Pet owner finds experience with Ohio board "frustrating"; veterinarian had long history of violations, two suspensions

From  http://www.ovmlb.ohio.gov/board.htm, below:

Ohio Board Cautions Veterinarians Regarding Ownership of Animals 

[NOTE FROM EDITOR: I occasionally hear from people who claim the veterinarian has kept their companion animal for nonpayment, or after the guardian has left the pet with the vet to be euthanized, only to find out the pet was never euthanized but was kept alive for reasons known only to the vet - in some cases that meant assuming ownership. The following is from the Ohio board newsletter regarding what they call "a disturbing trend in veterinary medicine." -- JC.]

The Board has been seeing a number of complaints lately where the veterinarian has taken ownership of an animal through coercion or duress to the owner. These complaints all involved situations where an animal was in need of surgery or medical treatment and the owner either wanted the animal euthanized or wanted to make payments for the service. The veterinarians refused euthanasia and offered no alternative other than assuming ownership of the animal. The Board finds this to be a disturbing trend in veterinary medicine. The Board recognizes that some veterinarians are opposed to euthanizing any animal that could be made whole with treatment. However, the ultimate decision for treatment rests with the animal’s owner. If the veterinarian is unwilling to euthanize an animal under these circumstances, he/she should explain this fully to the owner and be willing to release the animal so that the owner can seek treatment, including euthanasia, elsewhere. The Board sees this trend as one that causes mistrust of veterinarians and injury to the reputation of veterinary medicine.

Ohio Veterinary Medical Board 1