Equine rescue and retirement facilities are invited to apply for free vaccines through the Unwanted Horse Veterinary Relief Campaign (UHVRC), a program sponsored by the American Association of Equine Practitioners and Merck Animal Health.  The deadline to apply for spring vaccines is Feb. 1.

Qualifying equine facilities will be provided with equine vaccines protecting against eastern equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis, equine rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and EHV-4), West Nile virus, equine influenza, tetanus and rabies. To qualify for donated vaccines, facilities must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and follow the AAEP Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities. Facilities must work with an AAEP-member veterinarian when applying.

Since the formation of this partnership in 2008, more than 1,600 applications from rescue and retirement facilities across 42 U.S. states have been received. With the support of 900 AAEP-member veterinarians and $1 million in Merck Animal Health vaccine donations, this nonprofit partnership has aided in the vaccination of 25,000 rescue horses.

“This milestone would not be possible without the tireless commitment of the AAEP and its member veterinarians,” said Ron McDaniel, Merck Animal Health director of equine sales and program co-founder. “This program epitomizes so much of what we believe in as an organization and equine team, which boils down to doing the best we can every day to protect the health and well-being of the horse.”

To learn more, or download an application, visit www.uhvrc.org. Any questions regarding the application process can be directed to Dana Kirkland, AAEP sponsorship & advertising coordinator, at (800) 443-0177 or dkirkland@aaep.org.

About AAEP

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.

About Merck Animal Health

For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit 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 range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. 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 or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter at @MerckAH.

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