Building partnerships that help bridge the gap between farm and table and keep pets healthy members of the family.

Collaborating to advance animal health and welfare, increase understanding of modern animal agricultural practices and support the veterinary profession.

Engaging to understand consumer trends, advocate for agriculture and build trust through transparency.

New! Veterinary & Consumer Affairs Podcast Channel

As part of our mission to help our customers and stakeholders be successful to meet the demands of a changing world, we are proud to present the Veterinary & Consumer Affairs team podcast, Caring for Animals & Creating Trust. Through an exciting array of guests, we hope to help advance animal health and welfare while building understanding and trust in modern animal agriculture practices. By transparently sharing information, we help bridge the gap between farm and table, keep pets healthy members of the family, and advocate for agriculture.

Veterinary Wellbeing Second Comprehensive Study Released

Results show attitudes toward mental health in the veterinary field are improving, but there’s still work to do regarding treatment. Find these results, as well as data on job satisfaction, compensation, burnout, substance use disorder, cyberbullying and suicide in this report.

August is National Wellness month, so we dive into an aspect of health and wellness that may be overlooked: Our mental health. Supporting the veterinary profession in this arena is a top priority, and we are conducting our third Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study.  Read the blog by Dr. Judson Vasconcelos, head of the Veterinary & Consumer Affairs team and listen to our podcast with Dr. Elizabeth Strand, MSSW, PhD., University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, as we explore ways to manage stress and develop a Culture of Care. 

The global pandemic has changed just about everything about the way we live around the globe. What consumer trends are here to stay and will things ever go back to “normal?”

Moving animal agriculture forward is work for grown-ups.

Learn how animal health and welfare are addressed in shelters, the impact COVID-19 has had on the way they’ve had to do things and what shelter welfare may look like in a post-pandemic society.

Judson Vasconcelos

DVM, MS, PhD

Head, Veterinary and Consumer Affairs
Judson.Vasconcelos@merck.com
Our team collaborates with customers and stakeholders to advance animal health and welfare and increase consumer trust in modern animal agriculture practices. Bringing people together from different parts of the food value chain gives us opportunities to discuss shared challenges and solutions that ultimately help us navigate a changing world and evolving consumer trends. As a veterinarian and animal scientist, I’m passionate about Merck Animal Health’s support of the veterinary profession through our wellbeing study, student and scholarship initiatives that endeavor to improve the profession.

Jane Dukes

Sr. Account Manager, Consumer Affairs

Jane.Dukes@merck.com
I’ve devoted my career to promoting and protecting consumer brands, and I’m passionate about understanding the consumer perspective. I work with customers and food chain stakeholders to build understanding of marketplace trends and trust in modern animal agriculture practices. Through partnerships that help keep pets healthy members of the family and bridge the gap between farm and table, our team offers educational tools, training and resources to promote consumer trust through transparent communication and help farmers and veterinarians share their stories to advocate for agriculture.

Angela Baysinger

DVM, MS

Animal Welfare Lead, North America
Angela.Baysinger@merck.com
Animal welfare is my passion and my role as the animal welfare lead for Merck Animal Health North America is my dream job. I help incorporate animal welfare into product support trials and customer on-farm/in-clinic studies and provide training and support for animal welfare evaluations for both food and companion animals. My leading initiative is the annual Advancing Animal Welfare Together Symposium our team hosts that brings food chain leaders together from farm to table for a transparent dialogue about improving animal welfare.

Jessica Lynn Meisinger

PhD

Sr. Account Manager, Sustainability
Jessica.Meisinger@merck.com
I am passionate about sustainability and thrilled to be working with Merck Animal Health on this endeavor. From promoting research around the benefits of preventative medicine in animal agriculture to raising food sustainably, I lead our sustainability efforts and support stakeholders in special projects including blockchain initiatives. As a mom and pet parent, I understand the need for a safe, sustainable food supply and love helping people in the retail/restaurant industries learn more about farmers and the “why” behind choices they make for their animals.