Dr. Phil Buote is a registered veterinarian and is the Deputy Registrar and Complaints Director with the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA). ABVMA is the regulatory body for veterinary medicine in Alberta and the association for veterinarians and veterinary technologists.

Phil grew up in rural Prince Edward Island, completed his undergraduate studies 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.

Phil was in clinical practice as a mixed animal veterinarian in rural Alberta initially in the Grande Prairie region, then to Sherwood Park and eventually to Cochrane where he owned and operated the Cochrane Animal Clinic until 2010. He has been employed full time with the ABVMA since then.

Through his work with the ABVMA, Phil was engaged in the veterinary profession response with other key animal welfare agencies during the evacuation and care of companion animals evacuated from Fort McMurray during the wildfires of May 2016. Phil co-authored the report of the veterinary profession’s collective response to the evacuation.

As a result of the learnings and relationships established with animal welfare organizations and with the support of the Alberta government the Companion Animal Disaster Response Capability Steering Committee and working Group were established and the Operational Plan received Ministerial approval early in 2021. Phil is very proud of the collaboration from multiple agencies in Alberta to move this important initiative forward.