Caring for animals
and creating trust.

The Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team helps you successfully meet the demands of a changing world.

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.

Animal Welfare

Consumer & Retail

Sustainability

Veterinary & Academic Affairs

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.

Recent News

Are You Prepared for a Crisis?

While we manage the challenges of hurricanes, fires and a global pandemic, make sure you have a plan in place to deal with the unexpected. Proactive + Prepared = Protection. A crisis on the farm could have far-reaching effects on cooperatives, packers, processing partners or brands associated with your farm in the supply chain. Learn more about the important components of a crisis plan.

The Power of Infographics for Food System Conversations

Do consumers want to learn more about how their food is grown and raised?

Helping veterinarians flourish podcast

Are you prepared to support veterinarians struggling with mental health issues?

Alternative Burgers

Are consumer preferences trending toward alternative burgers?

Merck Animal Health Veterinary & Consumer Affairs

Committed to providing our customers and food chain partners with animal health solutions and industry-leading perspectives on animal wellbeing, consumer trends and sustainability.

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.