Dr. Phil Buote, DVM | Fear, Facts, and Fairness: How Veterinary Complaints Are Really Handled

Complaints are one of the most anxiety-provoking experiences in veterinary medicine. However, they don’t have to be a mystery, and they don’t have to define you.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Phil Buote, DVM, Deputy Registrar and Complaints Director at the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA), for an open, human conversation about what really happens when a complaint is filed.

Phil walks us through the complaints process from start to finish, sharing why most complaints are dismissed, how peer review actually works, and why the regulator’s role is not about punishment, but rather professionalism, fairness, and learning. Drawing on his own years in clinical practice, Phil explains how empathy, clear communication, and perspective guide his approach when calling colleagues on what may be one of the hardest days of their careers.

This episode is for veterinarians and veterinary professionals who want clarity instead of fear, facts instead of assumptions, and reassurance that being human in medicine does not mean you’ve failed.

If complaints have ever kept you up at night, or you just want to better understand the system that governs our profession, this conversation is worth your time.

About Dr. Phil Buote

Dr. Phil Buote is the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association Deputy Registrar and Complaints Director. He grew up in rural Prince Edward Island, completed an undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Prince Edward Island and graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College in 1995. Phil completed a rotating internship in large animal medicine and surgery at Washington State University in 1996.

Dr. Buote began clinical practice in Alberta as a rural mixed animal practitioner in the Peace River region. He did two years of mainly beef cow-calf practice before moving to Sherwood Park where he joined a practice limited to horses. Three years into equine practice he found himself wanting to return to mixed practice and explore practice ownership. He moved to Cochrane where he eventually purchased the Cochrane Animal Clinic, which he owned and operated from 2002 through 2010.

Dr. Buote was a member of the ABVMA Food Animal Committee from 2002 through 2004 when he was elected as a member of Council. Following his term on Council he was appointed to the Complaint Review Committee and took on the role of Chair in 2010. Looking for a change of career, and given his satisfaction with his volunteer work with the ABVMA, he applied for the position of Complaints Director and joined the ABVMA staff in July of 2010, and added the role of Deputy Registrar in 2013. He has been in both roles since then.

Phil lives in Parkland county with his wife Carmen and their two boys Ethan and Nolan and cats Simon and Ceasar. He likes to stay active and his spare time is mostly spent outdoors fishing and in the mountains.

Get in Touch

ABMVA

phil.buote@abvma.ca

Dr. Buote Direct Phone: 780-784- 5223