The AFB Gold MERV 11 furnace / air filter is recommended for home or business owners that have pets as it is specifically designed to filter particles as tiny as one micron, including pet dander, lint & dust, dust mite debris, pollen and mold spores, auto emissions & smoke. While not quite hospital grade like our AFB Platinum (which we recommend for asthma and allergy sufferers) our AFB Gold is a premium quality product that is an upgrade from the AFB Silver and significantly more effective than a standard fiberglass filter.