KENILWORTH, N.J., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Schering-Plough Corporation today announced the national launch of the new HomeAgain(TM) Proactive Pet Recovery Network, the nation’s first comprehensive system to assist in the search for lost pets.
One in three pets will become lost during a lifetime and without proper identification, 90 percent never return home, and are at risk of being euthanized. HomeAgain has been a leader in companion animal identification and lost pet recovery since 1995. The new HomeAgain network, which is the first-ever proactive lost pet service that actually mobilizes volunteers to help search for a missing pet, hopes to improve the odds for lost pets by combining advanced pet-tracking methodology with a network dedicated to aiding recovery efforts.
The first-of-its-kind proactive approach for pet owners utilizes the same community-wide notification principles originally developed to help locate missing children. Within minutes of a missing pet report being filed with the 24-hour, seven day-a-week emergency call center, dispatchers will notify area shelters and veterinary clinics. Dispatchers will share key information, such as the pet’s description and a photo. Through the service, pet owners will be able to go online to create personalized “Lost Pet” posters for owners to distribute and post.
The tracking methodology begins with the HomeAgain microchip, a safe and permanent form of identification. When a pet registered with HomeAgain is found and scanned, he or she can be traced back to his or her owner through the national database. More than 4 million pets in the United States have been implanted with a HomeAgain microchip, resulting in more than 300,000 successful recoveries.
“We are partnering with veterinarians and shelters on this new recovery network because our experience in companion animal identification and lost pet recovery has shown how important it is to be proactive,” said Brent Saunders, senior vice president, Schering-Plough Corporation. “Microchip implantation and registration in the national database are vital, but the new proactive recovery network goes much further and hopefully will result in many reunions.”
The company also announced that it will be working with Mars, Incorporated, a global leader in pet care. “Mars is proud to join with Schering-Plough in bringing practical solutions that benefit pets and their owners. This initiative is in keeping with our long-standing commitment to offer programs and products that make life better for pets and their owners,” said Ellis Rowe, Group President - Developing Petcare for Mars, Incorporated.
To bolster the recovery efforts, the HomeAgain network is also recruiting volunteers to become HomeAgain Pet Rescuers. These pet-friendly organizations and individuals will be dedicated to the swift, safe recovery of pets. Rescuers in the vicinity of a pet’s last known location will receive e-mail updates with a description, a photo and recovery tips to ensure a safe return
to the owner. Upon locating a missing pet, rescuers provide help and comfort, and make the appropriate connections to area veterinary clinics or shelters.
Pet owners can enroll in the new HomeAgain Proactive Pet Recovery Network by visiting their veterinarian who will implant the HomeAgain microchip, a small identification microchip about the size of a grain of rice. For an annual fee, pet owners then register their pets in the national database through HomeAgain. For more information about the new HomeAgain Proactive Pet Recovery Network or to join the HomeAgain Pet Rescuers, contact HomeAgain at 1-888-HOMEAGAIN (1-888-466-3242) or visit online at homeagain.com.
About HomeAgain
Since 1995, HomeAgain has been a leader in companion animal identification and lost pet recovery. Debuting nationally in 2007, the new HomeAgain Proactive Pet Recovery Network is the first-ever proactive lost pet service that actually mobilizes volunteers to help search at first alert of a missing pet. Today, HomeAgain is successfully recovering a lost pet approximately every six minutes. To date, more than 3.5 million pets in the United States have been implanted with a HomeAgain microchip, resulting in nearly 300,000 successful recoveries. For more information, visit http://www.homeagain.com.
About Schering-Plough Corporation
Schering-Plough is a global science-based health care company with leading prescription, consumer and animal health products. Through internal research and collaborations with partners, Schering-Plough discovers, develops, manufactures and markets advanced drug therapies to meet important medical needs. Schering-Plough’s vision is to earn the trust of the physicians, patients and customers served by its more than 32,000 people around the world. The company is based in Kenilworth, N.J., and its Web site is http://www.schering-plough.com.
About Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated, is a privately-held company that produces some of the world’s leading confectionery, food, petcare, beverage, and health & nutrition products, and operates in more than 65 countries. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Mars, Incorporated employs more than 8,000 associates in the United States and 40,000 associates worldwide with 38 manufacturing facilities nationally and more than 100 manufacturing facilities globally. The company’s global sales exceed $18 billion annually.
SCHERING-PLOUGH DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information in this press release includes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to HomeAgain(TM) and the potential market for HomeAgain(TM). Forward-looking statements relate to expectations or forecasts of future events. Schering- Plough does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from Schering- Plough’s forward-looking statements, including market forces, economic factors, product availability, patent and other intellectual property protection, current and future branded, generic or over-the-counter competition, the regulatory process, and any developments following regulatory approval, among other uncertainties. For further details about these and other factors that may impact the forward-looking statements, see Schering- Plough’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including Item 1A. Risk Factors in the Company’s second quarter 2006 10-Q.
Schering-Plough Corporation
CONTACT: Media: Julie Lux, +1-908-298-4774, +1-908-216-0370 (cell), orInvestors: Alex Kelly or Robyn Brown, +1-908-298-7436
Web site: http://www.schering-plough.com/
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