Calling All Dog Owners: Profess Your Love For Your Precious Pup With The "I HEART My Dog" Program From Merial, The Maker Of HEARTGARD® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel), To Support Canine Companions For Independence

DULUTH, Ga., May 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- From wet noses to wagging tails and long walks together – dogs give their owners countless reasons to love them. Merial, the maker of HEARTGARD^® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel), is asking dog lovers to use social media to tell the world why their best canine friend is dear to their heart. This expression of love through the HEARTGARD Plus "I HEART My Dog" program will help raise awareness for heartworm disease and prevention and will help place more assistance dogs with deserving individuals in need.

For every social action taken by consumers, Merial, the maker of HEARTGARD Plus, will sponsor $1 – up to $150,000 – to Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that provides highly trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities. Actor Scott Foley teamed up with Merial, the maker of HEARTGARD Plus, and shared his love letter to his dog, Frankie.

From now until Aug. 15, 2015, dog owners can take a social action such as watching the "I HEART My Dog" video featuring Foley's love letter tribute to his dog on www.iheartgardmydog.com; sharing the video on their social media channels; or submitting a #iheartmydog love letter to their dog to Instagram™, Twitter™ or Facebook™.

"My dog Frankie and I have a special bond. She chose me – I'm the first person she greets when the whole family walks in the door and who she goes to for extra attention," said Scott Foley. "Every dog owner has a unique reason for loving his or her dog and now sharing that story can help a great cause to provide more assistance dogs to people in need."

The assistance dogs trained by Canine Companions for Independence provide their owners with increased independence and loving companionship. Merial, the maker of HEARTGARD Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel), believes in preventing heartworm disease in all dogs and this program will help place more assistance dogs with deserving individuals in need.

"As we approach the peak of heartworm season this spring and summer, Merial, is working to better educate dog owners about the importance of year-round heartworm disease prevention," said Brandt Giffin, Executive Director of U.S. Pets Marketing for Merial. "The 'I HEART My Dog' program gives dog owners the opportunity to celebrate the love for their dog, while helping raise funds to support Canine Companions for Independence assistance dogs."

In addition to taking a social action in the "I HEART My Dog" program, consumers can also give directly to Canine Companions for Independence. Text DOGS to 80888 to make a $10 donation to support the life-changing efforts of Canine Companions for Independence.*  

Trusted Protection for Dogs
From Merial, the maker of HEARTGARD Plus, HEARTGARD Plus is the number one veterinarian-recommended¹ heartworm preventive. HEARTGARD Plus provides trusted, proven prevention against heartworm disease in dogs – all in a convenient monthly, real-beef chewable that dogs love.² HEARTGARD Plus helps protect a dog by killing and preventing the development of heartworm tissue larvae. It also treats and controls canine roundworms and hookworms in the dog's intestinal tract. 

It Only Takes One Mosquito
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition in dogs. It is caused by heartworms that spend their adult lives on the right side of the heart and the large blood vessels that connect the heart to the lungs. Heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitoes carrying the disease and dogs of all ages are susceptible to infection.

HEARTGARD Plus kills heartworm tissue larvae as well as treats and controls canine roundworms and hookworms. Prevention of heartworm disease is recommended versus heartworm disease treatment as treatment is expensive and can be a painful, prolonged ordeal for the dog.

Heartworm Disease Signs in Dogs

• Signs of heartworm disease range from no sign at all to persistent cough, fatigue, fainting and weight loss.
• Heartworm disease is usually detected with a blood test.
• Vets recommend giving dogs a monthly heartworm preventive year-round to help protect against the potentially fatal heartworm disease.

To learn more about HEARTGARD Plus, please visit www.heartgard.com.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:
HEARTGARD Plus is well tolerated. All dogs should be tested for heartworm infection before starting a preventive program. Following the use of HEARTGARD Plus, digestive and neurological side effects have rarely been reported. For more information, contact your veterinarian or visit www.heartgard.com.

HEARTGARD Plus prescribing information: http://www.heartgard.com/Style%20Library/docs/Dog_information.pdf.

About Merial
Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health and well-being of a wide range of animals. Merial employs 6,100 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide with over €2 billion of sales in 2014.

Merial is a Sanofi company.

For more information, please see www.merial.com.

About Canine Companions for Independence
Canine Companions for Independence provides highly trained assistance dogs to children, adults, and veterans with disabilities. Established in 1975, Canine Companions has six training centers across the country, including CA, FL, OH, NY and TX. Canine Companions is recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and the quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. The result is a life full of increased independence and loving companionship. There is no charge for the dog, its training and a lifetime of follow-up services. For more information, call 1-800-572-BARK or visit www.cci.org.

Source:
1.)   Data on file. Merial, Inc.
2.)   Freedom of Information Summary

®HEARTGARD and the Dog & Hand logo are registered trademarks of Merial.
©2015 Merial Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved.

* A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Message and Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. By CARRIER COMPLIANCE participating you certify that you are 18 yrs or older and/or have parental permission. Donations are collected for the benefit of Canine Companions for Independence by Innogive Foundation and subject to the terms found at igfn.org/t. Privacy Policy: igfn.org/p; Text STOP to 80888 to stop; Text HELP to 80888 for help.

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SOURCE Merial

Related Links

http://www.iheartgardmydog.com

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