If someone posts stupid pictures of themselves, that’s their problem to deal with how others see them. However, if this is a picture of someone’s pet that was taken without authorization, then it’s a breach of (implied) trust. Just as a doctor shouldn’t be posting pictures of their patients without their authorization, I would expect the same from a vet. If you are seriously considering bringing your pets to that vet, I would ask what their policy is on posting pictures. Even pictures of “smiling” pets shouldn’t be posted without permissions. However, the office may also have disclosures that you sign saying you allow them to do that. For example, if it’s a teaching facility they may have a little different rules.

Wow… tricky subject. And weird. And sad and gross and weird.

Maybe try talking to her first and asking her about why in the *world* she would want to post something like that. If she doesn’t see that as a problem, perhaps bring up the idea that she might be performing a breach of confidentiality, as miaeih mentioned.

Either way, appeal to her sense of decency. Not everyone is comfortable looking at pictures like that, and it may not have occurred to her that she is making people feeling uncomfortable, sad, or even horrified.

At my vet I did sign a form that says they’re allowed to take and post pictures of your pet but the form specifically states that it will only be posted to their company website and facebook page. So I think in some cases a staff member taking and posting pictures of patients isn’t so bad, if permission is granted. But! If she’s posting this to her personal facebook that’s completely different and totally inappropriate. Maybe try to tell her that those pictures would be more appropriate on a company fb/website as examples of their happy patients and/or typical procedures performed.

I would just talk to her. She’s a friend, so I think going to her boss would be a mistake and she would resent you for it. Just talk to her and say that seeing those images really bothered you and you don’t think it’s appropriate to be posting on FB.

I would hide her posts or unfriend her.

I would take the friend approach Elrohwen mentioned, but I would add the very good advice from the others about confidentiality not being respected. In fact, you can put it that, as a friend, you don’t want her to risk her job or get in trouble with her boss in case it’s against their policy so should take it down right away, because someone else may also find it disturbing and report her.

I guess I am a little confused. So this person works for a vet office, but they take in rescues? Does the vet actually have control over them or are they being brought in by another rescue for medical attention? If the animals “belong” to the vet office, then I don’t think there would be a problem with her taking pictures of them. Unless her employer had some sort of policy against this. As for the necropsy, I imagine it probably was disturbing to see. Again though, I question what the circumstances were. Was the animal a rescue that was brought in and died? Or did an owner surrender the animal to the vet and it later died? Or was is actually a patient that belonged to a pet owner? If the rabbit “belonged” to the vet office for whatever reason, then there wouldn’t be any privacy to violate. Or was this a teaching situation? Was the dead rabbit donated for learning purposes? If that was the case, then perhaps she was just excited to be learning how to spot the “cause of death” and for whatever reason wanted to take a picture. I wouldn’t judge her without knowing the entire story. But if you are friends, then why not just ask her about it?

As far as protecting privacy goes, I’m not sure if it is really a law or not. The American Veterinary Association made changes to their requirements saying veterinarians should protect the privacy of their clients. It’s an ethical issue, but I’m not sure if it is a legal issue. I will search around some more to see if I can find any information on it.

Interesting.

Section 19 – Veterinarian-Client Confidentiality

No licensed veterinarian shall disclose any information concerning the licensed veterinarian’s care of a patient except on written authorization or by waiver by the licensed veterinarian’s client or on appropriate court order, by subpoena, or as otherwise provided in this Section.
Copies of or information from veterinary records shall be provided without the owner’s consent to public, animal health, animal welfare, wildlife, or agriculture authorities, employed by federal, state, or local governmental agencies who have a legal or regulatory interest in the contents of said records for the protection of animal and public health.
Any licensed veterinarian releasing information under written authorization or other waiver by the client or under court order, by subpoena, or as otherwise provided by this Section shall not be liable to the client or any other person.
The privilege provided by this Section shall be waived to the extent that the licensed veterinarian’s client or the owner of the patient places the licensed veterinarian’s care and treatment of the patient or the nature and extent of injuries to the animal at issue in any civil criminal proceeding.

COMMENTARY TO SECTION 19—This section reflects the ethical obligation of veterinarians and their employees to consider information from clients and veterinary medical records privileged and confidential. This section recognizes that an important objective of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship is to encourage clients to provide the fullest extent of information possible to the veterinarian so that a reasonable determination might be made about an animal’s condition. Section 19 in the MVPA is modeled on 59 Okla. Rev. Stat. § 698.16a. Similar statutes exist in Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, and Texas.

As stated in this Section 19, information and records related to patient care should remain confidential except under certain well-defined exceptions. The AVMA also encourages each state board to be familiar with other open-records laws (eg, laws relating to the Freedom of Information Act) at the federal and state level that must be taken into consideration. It should also be noted that subsection 1 refers to “waiver by the licensed veterinarian’s client.” Such waiver includes written documentation of a client’s verbal consent.

Also, it appears to be different in different states.
http://www.avma.org/advocacy/state/issues/sr_confidential_records.asp

I totally agree with LBJ. Personally, I loved bio labs and dissection. I find it completely amazing and mind blowing. My coffee table book is my old lab guide that shows all real cadavers- humans, pigs, cats, and dogs. Now, I’m not posting it on Facebook and I agree that’s in rather poor taste. Do you talk to her often or is she a “once was” friend? If you see her in person, maybe you could say “I can’t believe you can look at that! I was horrified when I saw those pictures!”. Maybe she would get the hint? If you don’t really talk to her much, you could always hide her posts. I’m not sure the legality of what she’s doing, but at least you wouldn’t have to see the pictures. :/

Honestly, friend or not, that woman is violating the privacy of the people who owned the pets. I’d talk to the vet she works for. It just isn’t right. if she worked at my vet, I would be livid, the pets sickness is not for her amusement, or for her to share with whoever she happens to friend on facebook.

If this her personal FB then yeah, kinda weird. However, if she’s an animal advocate then I suppose I can see why she’d be posting various things from work. Even the necrospy pictures if it was a situation in which she’s trying to educate better care. ie. “This is what happens to a rabbit when you…” Sort of like those graphic anti-smoking advertisements. It’s hard to say what her intentions are not knowing her or seeing the fb page. I do think it’s a courtesy to fore warn people that imagery might be upsetting to some. In the very least, a polite suggestion to her to do this wouldn’t hurt.

On the privacy issue, whole different ball game. I think something should be said. Said once and left at that. If there’s no response then I don’t think you can do much more other then protect yourself from what you view.
I think you can use your knowledge on hipaa and privacy as your approach. Example: “Hey, at work where pretty big on hipaa and privacy and just wondering if it’s ok for you to post these pics? I’m mentioning this as a friend because I wouldn’t like you to get into trouble at work over this. You obviously like what you do. You have to be really careful around this stuff. I’ll be honest and tell you I did not like seeing…(enter specifics)…and I worry others may feel same and I can’t account for their actions on this. Just a heads-up, be careful and find out what is okay and what is not.”
Something like that is how I’d say it and I’d do it privately via email.
Hope you figure out what to do.

Ah Facebook. Such a minefield.

It’s possible that the photo’s are the vets and are the vet’s property so they are the vet’s propietary so there is that issue as well.