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Animal cruelty investigations are of high interest to the public and the media. Veterinarians serving on a case must avoid talking with the media, until the case is adjudicated. If sharing information with the public is necessary, use a secondary resource, such as someone from the public relations department or from practice management to talk with the media. These individuals must have basic media communications skills and understand the boundaries regarding what can be discussed when an investigation and case is ongoing. Law enforcement and prosecutors are an excellent resource if you are not sure what the boundaries are in terms of discussing a case and need help determining who should talk to the media and what, if any, information may be released. In some cases, talking with the media about the status of a case or alerting the public about needing leads and a reward may be helpful. Know how and when to provide this information to the media ahead of time so a mistake is not made under pressure and in the middle of an active news story. See Chapter 14 for additional information about media relations.

The veterinarian may provide information for release that is approved by the law enforcement representative for the case such as breed, age, medical findings, or details about how the animal was found. This information may be used for the reward via a public information officer or other party (Box 6.2). By checking with law enforcement before providing information, the risk of jeopardizing the case by releasing confidential or investigatory information is eliminated.

In most cases, it is impossible for a veterinarian to remain completely anonymous when reporting or assisting with an investigation. While these situations may be emotionally charged and challenging, advocacy for the animal(s) involved, consideration of other aspects of human involvement such as child welfare or elder abuse, and the veterinarian's obligation to confront the findings fairly and accurately based on their knowledge are required.