FROM CANINE TO CATTLE

Merck Animal Health provides unconditional support for all creatures, great and small.

ARTICLE BY Jackie Hostetler

PHOTOS BY Casey Rooman Smith

Merck Animal Health is one of many successful corporations within the De Soto business landscape, providing goods and services, most generally, in the field of animal health and science.

The manufacturer offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners, and government agencies one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products.

“We cover both the livestock business, as well as the animal companion business,” says Tom Schad, director of North American communications. “Everything from horses, to cows, to pigs, to cats, to dogs.” It’s evident that Merck’s commitment to animals is serious business, quite literally, starting from behind the desk. “I’ve got my assistant right here to help,” says Schad, as he playfully strokes one of several cats in his home office. In the role since 2018, Schad came to Merck Animal Health from outside the animal health industry.

“I didn’t have the animal health background, but I was attracted to this company for what it represents,” Schad says. “When I looked at Merck Animal Health, I saw what they were doing. This company isn’t just about the profits. They really want to make sure those animals are safe and healthy. They care about their communities, and they care about their customers. We believe if we do the right thing, the business will take care of itself.”

And their customers come in all sizes. Merck Animal Health serves everyone from large corporations to single farmers. “Animals need the same care,” Schad says, “whether you have a herd of 10 or a herd of 10,000.”

Merck Animal Health has been active in the De Soto area since 2001; however, its parent company, Merck, has been in existence for 130 years. It has undergone several tweaks over the decades, in terms of acquisitions and mergers. As it stands today, Merck Animal Health has been around since 2007 and is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets.

Impressive, to say the least. But maybe even more impressive than their vast catalogue of products and services or their rich history is Merck’s approach to doing business.

The vision of Merck Animal Health involves a commitment to their motto “the Science of Healthier Animals.” It is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being, and performance of animals and the people who care for them.

At the heart of this commitment are “Six Key Areas of Unconditional Support” (below left). Unveiled in 2020, Merck’s social platform comprises six key components with the aim of showcasing its role as a responsible corporate citizen.

Oftentimes when corporations draft white papers and plans outlining such aspirations, they remain just that—aspirations. Not with Merck Animal Health; behind the policies, behind the studies, behind the research and development, lie real people and real animals with real stories.

“We had 20 young horses that were part of a research project we were undertaking. When the project was completed, the horses were approximately 2 years old. And what do you do with 20 essentially wild horses?” Schad says. “Our people sought out and found a home for those 20 horses at the Agape Boys Boarding School located in southern Missouri. We donated the 20 horses to that boys’ home. These boys, who have faced challenges in their lives, are going to train those horses. The training process will help the boys learn how to react and interact with animals. Once [the horses are] trained, they will sell the horses, and reinvest it back into the boarding school.”

Outside of sweeping gestures, such as donating 20 horses, Merck Animal Health is always available to lend a hand in plenty of day-to-day routines, as well.

“Our customers wake up at 4:30 in the morning. They are out there in the fields with their animals, and we are out there with them when they need us,” Schad says.

Merck Animal Health demonstrates its commitment to customers and animals in some less common situations, too.

“We are out there during floods and devastation. We help customers out, whether it’s pulling animals out of the mud, to making sure that they are protected from some of the diseases that disasters can cause,” Schad says.

Other recent initiatives that Merck has supported through their Areas of Unconditional Support include: • Partnering with an organization called “Street Dog Coalition,” which helps people who have been displaced or who are experiencing homelessness find stable homes for their pets • Providing more than a million dollars in scholarships to students in 2020 • Organizing volunteer services in communities, including making masks and offering clinics • Aiding communities in reducing the amount of products that end up in landfills • Donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations such as the National FFA Organization and the American Family Association

De Soto counts itself fortunate to be home of Merck Animal Health. There are certainly obvious benefits, such as jobs and the stimulation of local economy. But Merck offers something else.

“We are not just a pharmaceutical company,” says Schad. “We are a neighbor in the community.”

SIX KEY AREAS OF UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT

RESPECT FOR THE VETERINARY PROFESSIONAL

COMPASSION FOR ANIMAL CARE AND WELFARE

COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMERS

PASSION FOR SUSTAINABILITY

DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE LEADERS

CARING TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

FOR MORE

MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH, 35500 W. 91ST. ST, .DE SOTO, KS 66018; 913-422-6020; WWW.MERCK-ANIMAL-HEALTH-USA.COM; WWW.JOBS.MERCK.COM/US/EN