First, opponents are squaring up in several court cases across the country where pets are the main topic.   In Texas, the case of a pet mistakenly euthanized by a local shelter is being appealed in the Texas State Supreme Court.   In North Carolina, an appeals court heard arguments over the value of a pet's life in the case of a Jack Russell terrier who died at a veterinary teaching hospital.  Finally, you may remember that a New York judge is being asked to rule on the question of whether or not dogs have souls.  

Why do I bring all of these up again?  Simply because the outcome of these cases has very real consequences for the whole veterinary profession.  See my column below to find resources that you might need as these stories unfold!

Next...money, money, money!   Stories on the "high costs" of veterinary care continue to percolate and we may see more of them as this year progresses.  Kroger has recently announced their offering of pet prescription medicationsin select markets and you can be sure that your local media is watching for a similar occurrence to happen near you.  Are you prepared for this kind of interview?
You might enjoy this blog from a veterinarian in West Virginia...she took the whole money question head on and provided, in my opinion, a very straight forward discussion about the true costs of pet care.

Finally, we hear a lot about aggressive dogs and dog attacks in the news.  Breed specific legislation is a hot topic always, but recently, there have been some rumors about a turnaround in a city know for a decades old ban on certain breeds.  Miami may consider reversing a twenty year old ban on pit bulls.  For those of you who follow dog attack stories, our own VNN member, Brent Toellner has a break down of  2011 fatalities from dog attacks at his blog.   Nice work, Brent!

Thomas Dock, CVJ
Managing Editor, Veterinary News Network

Board of Certification, American Society of Veterinary Journalists

As I have communicated with many of you during this time of membership renewal for VNN, I have come to realize that there is often some confusion about all the different resources that can be found at our website.  SO...in my never-ending quest to provide great value for you, let me take a brief moment to review:

Daily media help:  Keeping up with your social media network and the latest animal health or veterinary news is a full time job!  VNN members can get the help they need by being part of our Linked IN group or by following our Facebook page.  Many times, the stories posted at both of those sites can help spark an idea for your media outreach or help keep you informed!   Plus, you get the added bonus that someone is monitoring stories, letting you know if the article is just a rumor or is indeed based on facts.

In addition, we are here as "breaking news" develops!  Whether it's a disease outbreak (like the current equine herpesvirus situation in California) or a developing story of national importance to veterinarians (like the Medlen case in Texas), we will be here to develop strong messaging AND help you with specific media-related questions.  As a good example, Ms. Elizabeth Choate from the Texas VMA was quoted in the recent issue of DVM Magazine about the Medlen case mentioned above.  Many of her statements were based on messaging created by VNN and available to YOU at MyVNN.com.

We also have a system in place to alert you when serious breaking news is happening.  Our Reverse 911 text alert system will send a notification to your phone when there is stories of vital importance or crucial communications that we feel you need to know.  IF you have not "opted in" yet, you can text VNN to 85378 from your cell phone.

Weekly communications:  Each week, we send you email that not only discusses some of the top stories of the week, but also gives you advice on how to approach your local media or use the story in your social network.  As I mentioned in the last Media Insider...this information can help you develop an "earned audience" and the potential for greater public recognition and publicity.

Of course, our monthly VNN story resources are another way that you can save time and effort in your media outreach.  Twice each month, VNN releases professionally produced stories about timely and newsworthy animal health or veterinary topics.

Did you know that Dr. Jim Humphries has made available his recent articles on Reputation Management?  You may have seen these in this very newsletter, but now you can review them at ANY time in our Media Training Library.  Keeping on top of your online reputation is quickly becoming a vital part of your daily practice routine and Dr. Jim's sage advice is available for you to download!

Of course, there is SO much more...from our ability to create customized videos for you and your hospital to helping with creating press releases, providing informational webinars and a growing library of media resources, we are here to help you!