1. A. The Board or a veterinary review committee shall review a complaint received within 3 years of the conduct complained of, and may review a complaint received after 3 years of the conduct complained of upon a showing of extraordinary circumstances.

2. B. After reviewing a complaint, the Board or a veterinary review committee may further investigate the complaint by:

   1. (1) Requesting relevant records;
   2. (2) Requesting written or oral responses from the alleged violator;
   3. (3) Requesting rebuttals from the complainant;
   4. (4) Requesting statements from witnesses;
   5. (5) Requesting statements from relevant third parties, including other treating veterinarians;
   6. (6) Procuring expert opinions on relevant specialty areas;
   7. (7) Researching areas in dispute; and
   8. (8) Seeking legal advice.

3. C. After completing an investigation of a complaint, the Board or a veterinary review committee may recommend that the Board take one or more of the following actions:

   1. (1) Dismiss the matter for lack of authority or merit;
   2. (2) Issue a cease and desist order;
   3. (3) Issue a letter of advice;
   4. (4) Issue a letter of admonition;
   5. (5) Issue a notice of action and charging document;
   6. (6) Stay the matter;
   7. (7) Stet the matter;
   8. (8) Refer the matter to mediation;
   9. (9) Refer the matter to the appropriate authorities; or
   10. (10) Issue a summary suspension which provides the right to request within 10 days a nonevidentiary show cause hearing.

Authority: Agriculture Article, §§2-302.1, 2-304, 2-307.1, 2-310, 2-310.1, and 2-311; State Government Article, §§10-207—10-209; Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: June, 1968

Regulation .01 amended effective December 2, 1996 (23:24 Md. R. 1683)

Preface recodified as Regulation .01 and Regulation .01 recodified as Regulation .01-1, April, 1997

Regulation .10A amended effective April 8, 1985 (12:7 Md. R. 708)

Chapter revised effective October 15, 2012 (39:20 Md. R. 1308)