Virbac and MapMyWalk Launch Dog Walking Challenges Tied to Mobility Supplements

The animal health company is pairing GPS-tracked walks with discounts on its own joint and muscle supplements in a new app-based promotion.

Virbac, an animal health company based in Westlake, Texas, announced on August 28, 2026, that it has partnered with the walking and fitness app MapMyWalk to launch what the companies are calling the Keep Moving Activation. According to the media alert, MapMyWalk reports more than 90 million users. The partnership centers on two in-app walking challenges aimed at dog owners, each tied to a discount on a different Virbac supplement.

How the Challenges Work

The first challenge, called Dog Days of Summer, runs from August 28 through September 27, 2026. Participants log ten walking, running, or hiking activities with their dog to hit five milestones inside the app. According to Virbac, completing four recorded activities unlocks a 30 percent discount on URSOLYX Soft Chews for Dogs, the company's muscle health supplement. The second challenge, Fall Flex, is scheduled to run October 13 through November 12, 2026, follows a similar ten-activity structure, and offers a discount on MOVOFLEX Advanced Soft Chews, Virbac's joint support product, once it goes live. Both challenges are free to join through the MapMyWalk app or website.

The Health Rationale Virbac Cites

In its release, Virbac states that more than half of dogs aged seven and older experience muscle atrophy along with joint and muscle changes that can affect quality of life. The company frames the walking challenges as a way to encourage movement and healthy habits in both dogs and their owners, while also introducing participants to its supplement line. Virbac describes URSOLYX as built around ursolic acid, a compound the company says has been shown to inhibit mRNA expression changes associated with muscle atrophy, and describes MOVOFLEX as a joint supplement combining seven active ingredients, including eggshell membrane, Boswellia serrata extract, krill, and a form of astaxanthin. These are the company's own characterizations of its products as stated in the release, rather than independently verified claims.

It is worth naming clearly what this is: a co-branded marketing activation, not a clinical study or an independent health initiative. The reward structure is built around the participant purchasing a Virbac product once a walking milestone is met, and the release quotes Virbac's own VP of Marketing, Mark Champ, on the value of the partnership. That does not make the underlying advice to keep aging dogs moving bad advice. Exercise and mobility support are legitimate, well-supported parts of caring for senior dogs. It simply means the promotion should be read as a product marketing campaign built around a genuine wellness message, not as neutral health guidance on its own.