This sweepstakes is not open to the general public. Participation is limited to qualifying Clinics (as defined and detailed below). Void where prohibited by law.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN A PRIZE. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

By participating in this sweepstakes or accepting any prize, you agree – on behalf of yourself individually and your Clinic – to these Official Rules, which are a contract, so read them carefully before entering. Without limitation, this contract includes indemnities to the Released Parties (defined below) from your Clinic and you personally, a limitation of your Clinic’s and your rights and remedies, and a class-action waiver.

1. Overview: The Sure Petcare Veterinary Technician Week Sweepstakes (“Clinic Sweepstakes” or “Sweepstakes”) is sponsored and administered by Intervet Inc. d/b/a Merck Animal Health(“Sponsor”), 126 E Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ. The Sweepstakes entry period begins at 12:00:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) on October 13, 2024, and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on October 26, 2024 (the “Sweepstakes Period”). The Clinic Sweepstakes is open only to eligible Clinics (as defined and detailed below).

Following the close of the Sweepstakes Period, Sponsor or its representative will select (1) Grand Prize winners from an Elite Clinic in each qualified region, all subject to verification, in a random drawing as described in more detail below. A qualified region refers to a boundary determined by zip code alignments by Sponsor.

2. Eligibility: The Clinic Sweepstakes is not open to the general public. It is open only to veterinary technicians or veterinary support staff employed by a clinic currently participating in  the Merck Animal Health Elite Program (“Eligible Participant”). Only open to entrants located in any one (1) of the fifty (50) United States (including Hawaii and Alaska) or the District of Columbia (“Territory”) that employ a veterinarian licensed in the U.S. in the state in which the clinic is located (“Clinic”). Void where prohibited by law and outside the Territory. Any natural person who participates in any aspect of the Clinic Sweepstakes (including, without limitation, accepting a prize) represents and warrants that they are at least 18 years of age and the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence, have the authority to bind their Clinic to these Official Rules and understand that, in addition to their Clinic, they will be individually responsible for all duties and obligations contained in these Official Rules. Sponsor and its representatives reserves the right to require documentation from any potential entrant to verify eligibility, otherwise it may be disqualified.

Sponsor has the absolute discretion at any time and from time to time to determine the eligibility of anyone to take part in the Sweepstakes and will not be obliged to give any reason or basis for its decision.

3. How to Participate/Winner Selection: During the Sweepstakes Period, Eligible Participants can earn one (1) entry into the Sweepstakes by completing a Sweepstakes entry form (“Entry Form”). An authorized Clinic representative may complete and submit an Entry Form directly on the Eligible Participant’s behalf with all required information by visiting https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/mkt/ca/vet-tech-week

For purposes of the Sweepstakes, an entry is received only when the Entry Form website’s servers record the submission of the completed Entry Form. Entries must be submitted and received by Sponsor during the Sweepstakes Period and in strict accordance with the instructions and restrictions in these Official Rules. Limit of one (1) entry per Eligible Participant.

Potential winning Eligible Participants (subject to verification) will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period. The drawing will take place approximately fifteen (15) business days following the conclusion of the Sweepstakes Period. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

Those who do not abide by these Official Rules and the instructions of Sponsor or its representatives and provide all required information and content in any promotion-related communications, may, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, be disqualified and any associated participation by such Clinic/ Eligible Participant will be void. Purported participation in this Clinic Sweepstakes that Sponsor or its representative determine or reasonably suspect to be fraudulent, illegitimate, generated by a macro, bot, or other automated means will not be accepted and will be void, as will any promotion-related communication that is undeliverable, illegible, unintelligible, incomplete, garbled, misdirected, lost or late. Sponsor reserves the right to restrict or void entries or participation from any Clinic or other identifiable source if any suspicious entry and/or participation is detected, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Participation on a Clinic’s behalf by anyone not 1) associated with or the Clinic’s authorized sales rep and 2) authorized to act for the Clinic, participation by anyone on behalf of any Clinic by which that person is  not employed or otherwise authorized to act for, and/or participation originating at or using any website or online service not operated by Sponsor in connection with this Clinic Sweepstakes will be declared invalid and disqualified, at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Any person participating on a Eligible Participant’s behalf gives consent for Sponsor to obtain and deliver the Eligible Participant’s and Clinic’s name and address, the name of the person who participated on behalf of the Clinic, and other information to third parties for the purpose of administering this Clinic Sweepstakes and complying with applicable laws, regulations, and rules – which may include publicly disclosing a winner’s identifying information and prize information on a winners list.

4. Winner Notification: For Eligible Participants selected as potential winners, Sponsor will attempt to notify each such Eligible Participant that they may have won a prize in this Clinic Sweepstakes by e-mail, mail, or telephone (Sponsor’s sole discretion) within approximately 4-6 weeks after the drawing.In such case, prize winner (including a signatory capable of legally binding Eligible Participants) may be required to complete, sign, have notarized (if applicable) and return an affidavit/declaration of eligibility and release of liability, a publicity release (where legal), and tax forms (if applicable) or other prize-acceptance documents (collectively, “Winner Documents”) to Sponsor in the form provided and within the timeframe specified by Sponsor, or prize will be forfeited without further notice to winner. Winner Documents may require winner to provide its taxpayer identification number. Sponsor may – in its sole discretion – elect to instead ship the applicable prize directly to the winning Clinic (at the address provided with the Clinic’s entry) or Eligible Participant’s provided address without prior notice or further communication.

Sponsor reserves the right to modify the notification or verification procedures in connection with the selection of any alternate potential winner, if any. If any prize or promotion-related communication is rejected, faulty, or returned as undeliverable, if a winner cannot be reached after a reasonable attempt has been made (as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion), or if a winner does not comply with Sponsor’s or the prize provider’s instructions, that winner may be disqualified and an alternate winner may be randomly selected. Sponsor will not be obligated to pursue more than two (2) alternate winners for any prize for any reason, after which such prize may go unawarded.

5. Prizes, Quantity, and Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”):  

Grand Prizes (22): Subject to verification, 22 Eligible Participants will receive a Smart Pet Tech Bundle from Sure Petcare, including Animo^® Classic Dog Activity & Behavior Monitor, SureFeed^® Microchip Pet Feeder Connect, SureFeed^® Feeder Connect Accessories, Felaqua^® Connect, Sure Petcare Hub to be delivered following winner verification. Styles, brands, sizes and other details not set forth herein will be determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion.

The ARV of each Grand Prize is as follows:

• Animo Classic Dog Activity & Behavior Monitor: $90.00
• SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect: $228.00
• SureFeed Bowl: $17.00
• SureFeed Mat: $16.00
• Felaqua Connect: $115.00
• Sure Petcare Hub: $84.00

The total ARV of all prizes available in this Clinic Sweepstakes is $12,100

All prizes are awarded to the Eligible Participant as an individual, and not to any individual participating on an Eligible Participant’s behalf or any other individual associated with the Clinic. Released Parties are not responsible or liable for any disputes regarding distribution or use of the prizes amongst Clinic employees, staff, and/or representatives – including, without limitation, how prizes are utilized. If there is any such dispute, Sponsor may choose in its sole discretion to disqualify the Eligible Participants from this Clinic Promotion (and Clinic and all affiliated personnel/guests will forfeit access to any prize).

Each winner will be solely responsible for all taxes (federal, state and local) and other costs and expenses associated with receipt and use of a prize and not specified in these Official Rules as being provided as part of that prize. Prize details not specifically stated in these Official Rules (including the specifics of the gift boxes provided as part of a Grand Prize) will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Physical prizes, where applicable, will only be shipped to each verified winner’s physical mailing address in the Territory, except in Sponsor’s sole discretion No more than the stated prizes will be awarded. Each prize, if legitimately claimed, will be awarded. Entrants waive the right to assert, as a cost of winning any prize, any and all costs of verification and redemption or travel to claim the prize and any liability and publicity which might arise from claiming or seeking to claim said prize.

Sponsor is not responsible for and will not replace any lost, mutilated or stolen prize or any prize that is undeliverable or does not reach a recipient because of incorrect or changed contact information. If a winner does not accept or use the entire prize, the unaccepted or unused part of the prize will be forfeited and Sponsor will have no further obligation with respect to that prize or portion of the prize. Sponsor is not responsible for any inability of any winner to accept or use any prize (or portion thereof) for any reason. No transfers, prize substitutions or cash redemptions will be made, except at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any stated prize or portion thereof with another prize or portion thereof of equal or greater value for any reason, including, without limitation, prize unavailability.

6. Limitation of Liability: By participating, each entrant agrees to release, discharge, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Sponsor, its parent Merck & Co. Inc.), and  their subsidiaries, affiliates, prize suppliers, advertising and promotion agencies (including Armstrong and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, and agencies) and all of their respective directors, officers, employees, and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all liabilities, lawsuits, costs, expenses and fees (including attorneys’ fees) whatsoever for any injury, negligence, loss or damage of any kind, including, without limitation, injury, damage, loss, death, or accident to person, pet, or property, arising directly or indirectly, from or in connection with acceptance, awarding, possession, use or misuse of a prize or while preparing for, participating in, and/or traveling to or from any Clinic Sweepstakes- or prize-related activity.  Each winner agrees that the prize is provided as-is and the Released Parties do not make any warranty, representation, or guarantee, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the use of any of the prizes, including, without limitation, quality, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose, whether now known or hereafter enacted.

Each participant understands and agrees that all rights under section 1542 of the Civil Code of California and any similar law of any state, territory or jurisdiction of the United States are hereby expressly waived by them. Section 1542 reads as follows: “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.”

7. Additional Disclaimers: Released Parties are not responsible and/or liable for any of the following, whether caused by a Released Party, the Clinic (including any Clinic representative, employee, or staff member) or by human error: any lost, late, unintelligible, illegible, incomplete, stolen, mutilated, misdirected, undelivered or postage-due submission, claim, e-mail, mail, Winner Documents, or promotion-related correspondence or materials; participation that is received by illegitimate means (such as, without limitation, automated computer program or the generation of fraudulent receipts); any error, omission, interruption, defect, or delay in transmission or communication; viruses or technical or mechanical malfunctions; interrupted or unavailable cable, satellite, or other systems; failures of electronic equipment, computer hardware or software; lost or unavailable network connections; failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications or entry information; or any mechanical or human error that may occur in the processing of entries, tallying of claims, selection of winners, or distribution of prizes.  Without limiting any other provision in these Official Rules, the Released Parties are not responsible or liable to any entrant or winner or any person claiming through such entrant or winner for failure to supply a prize or any part thereof in the event that any of the promotion activities or the Released Parties’ operations or activities are affected by COVID-19 or any cause or event beyond the sole and reasonable control of the applicable Released Party (as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) including, without limitation, by reason of any acts of God, equipment failure, threatened or actual terrorist acts, air raid, act of public enemy, war (declared or undeclared), civil disturbance, insurrection, riot, pandemic/epidemic or similar public-health crisis, fire, explosion, earthquake, flood, hurricane, unusually severe weather, blackout, embargo, labor dispute or strike (whether legal or illegal), labor or material shortage, transportation interruption of any kind, work slow-down, any law, rule, regulation, action, order, guidance, or request adopted, taken, or made by any governmental or quasi-governmental entity (whether or not such governmental act proves to be invalid), or any other cause, whether or not specifically mentioned above.

8. General Rules: By entering the Clinic Sweepstakes (except where prohibited by law), each natural person participating on behalf of a Clinic grants the Released Parties the right and permission to use his/her name, image, likeness, voice, biographical information, any information contained in their entry, and any other aspect of personality for advertising, trade, and commercial purposes, in any and all media now known or hereafter invented, devised, or discovered, worldwide, including on the Internet, without review, notice, or approval and without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law, and each such person releases all Released Parties from any and all liability related thereto. Nothing contained in these Official Rules obligates any Released Party to make use of any of the rights granted herein and each person who participates on behalf of a Clinic and grants rights hereunder waives any right to inspect or approve any such use.

Sponsor’s decisions will be final in all matters relating to this Clinic Sweepstakes, including interpretation of these Official Rules and awarding of the prizes. All Clinics (including the person submitting the entry, and all other individuals employed and/or associated with the Clinic who use any prize or participate in any Prize-related activity), as a condition of participation, agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from participating in this Clinic Sweepstakes. Participants further agree to not damage or cause interruption of the Clinic Sweepstakes and/or prevent others from participating in either promotion. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to void participation of any Clinic that Sponsor believes has attempted to tamper with or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play of this Clinic Sweepstakes (or on the behalf of which a third party has attempted to do the same). If either this Clinic Sweepstakes is incapable of running as planned for any reason, including, without limitation, because of tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, human error, or any other cause that corrupts, threatens to corrupt, or adversely affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of either promotion, Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, suspend, or modify either or both the Clinic Sweepstakes, in which case the prizes may go unawarded (or may be awarded based on non-suspect entries submitted prior to the cancellation of the Clinic Sweepstakes, as determined and deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsor in its sole discretion). Sponsor’s failure to or decision not to enforce any provision in these Official Rules will not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision. In the event there is an alleged or actual ambiguity, discrepancy or inconsistency between disclosures or other statements contained in any Clinic Sweepstakes-related materials and/or these Official Rules (including any alleged discrepancy or inconsistency in these Official Rules), it will be resolved by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Clinics waive any right to claim ambiguity in the Clinic or these Official Rules. If Sponsor determines at any time in its sole discretion that any winning or potentially winning Clinic (including any person participating on behalf of the Clinic, and all other individuals employed and/or associated with the Clinic) is disqualified, ineligible, in violation of these Official Rules, or engaging in behavior that Sponsor deems obnoxious, inappropriate, threatening, illegal or that is intended to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person or mislead or defraud any Released Party, Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify that winner or potential winner, even if the disqualified winner or potential winner may have been notified or displayed or announced anywhere or any aspect of the prize distributed or scheduled. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these Official Rules will otherwise remain in effect and will be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein. If any person supplies false information, obtains entries or by fraudulent means or is otherwise determined to be in violation of these Official Rules in an attempt to obtain any prize, Sponsor may disqualify that person (and any Clinic on the behalf of which or for the benefit of which that person acted) and seek damages from him or her (or the Clinic, as applicable) and that person may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Any dispute as to who participated in this Clinic Sweepstakes, will be resolved by Sponsor in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Caution: any attempt to undermine the legitimate operations of the Clinic Sweepstakes may violate criminal and civil laws. If such an attempt is made, Sponsor may disqualify any participant making such attempt and may seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.

9. Disputes/Governing Law: As a condition of participating in this Clinic Sweepstakes, each participant (both the Clinic and any natural person participating on behalf of the Clinic) agrees the Clinic Sweepstakes and these Official Rules are governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey, USA. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of the Official Rules, participants’ rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Clinic Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. Any dispute regarding this Clinic Sweepstakes or these Official Rules will be brought in the federal or state courts located in or having jurisdiction over Morris County, New Jersey, and each participant irrevocably consents and waives objection to the personal jurisdiction of such courts. In addition, each participating individual and Clinic agrees that all causes of action arising out of or connected with this Clinic Sweepstakes, these Official Rules, or any prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and any and all claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket damages, excluding attorneys’ fees and court costs. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will a participant be permitted or entitled to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to claim, incidental or consequential damages other than their actual out-of-pocket expenses (if any), not to exceed twenty U.S. dollars ($20 USD) (provided that nothing in these Official Rules will restrain a California resident’s right, if any, to seek public injunctive relief as permitted by applicable law).

10. Winners List/Official Rules: For a copy of these Official Rules or the names of winning Clinics, email fulfillment@armstrongpartnership.com with the subject line “The Sure Petcare Vet Technician Week Sweepstakes – Rules Request” or “The Sure Petcare Vet Technician Week Sweepstakes – Winners List,” as applicable. Rules requests must be received by the end of the Sweepstakes Period; winners’ list requests must be received within six (6) months of the close of the Sweepstakes Period. Only one (1) request of either type per email will be fulfilled.

11. Sponsor: Intervet Inc., d/b/a Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co. Inc, 126 E Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ 07065.

These Official Rules and Sweepstakes-related materials may include trademarks and service marks of the Sponsor, Armstrong, and/or third parties. References to trademarks and/or names of third parties or related products or services are for reference and identification purposes only, not an endorsement, and do not designate a sponsorship, affiliation, or association with Sponsor, or this sweepstakes.