Merck Animal Health Launches Sure Petcare Animo® GPS

New smart device provides geolocation and dog behavioral tracking capabilities

MADISON, N.J., Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside of the United States and Canada, a division of Merck & Co, Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE:MRK), announced today the U.S. launch of Animo^® GPS, an activity and behavior monitor for dogs with GPS tracking capabilities. The product can alert pet owners within 20 seconds if their dog leaves its designated "Safe Zone" and offers real-time tracking with location updates from every five seconds when in "Lost Dog Mode."

 "One in three dogs will go missing in their lifetime and 80 percent of them will escape from their own home or yard¹. Speaking from experience, it only takes a moment for a dog to slip out – and knowing within seconds that they've done so can make all the difference in ensuring a safe return home," said Christine Royal, DVM, associate vice president of Companion Animal and Equine, Merck Animal Health. "Speed and accuracy were critical product features as we developed Animo GPS, so owners can be alerted quickly when and if their dog escapes."

In addition to its location tracking capabilities, Animo GPS utilizes smart technology to track a dog's unique activity levels and behavior within a user-friendly mobile app. The device captures data on sleep quality, barking, scratching, and shaking. It uses an adaptive algorithm to interpret this information and can send an alert through the app if there are any significant changes in these behaviors. This data is important because tracking behaviors and trends over time may indicate potential health concerns and could provide topics for pet owners to discuss with a veterinary professional.

Animo GPS has a best-in-class battery life of up to 12-weeks, subject to usage, lessening the chances it will lose power in the time it takes to locate a dog should it leave its designated "Safe Zone." Animo GPS is designed to withstand the elements a dog may encounter, as it is fully water-resistant and responsive in all weather conditions yet remains lightweight and securely fastens onto a dog's collar. To learn more about the benefits of Animo GPS, visit www.surepetcare.com/en-us/animo-gps.

About Merck Animal Health
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than a century, we've been at the forefront of research, bringing forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world's most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business of Merck. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals^®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA 
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).

1. 2021 Sure Petcare survey of 9,841 US dog owners

SOURCE Merck Animal Health