First Annual Pet Anxiety Awareness Week (PAAW) Educating Owners about Fear, Anxiety and Stress in Animals

"Fluff Dog!"
(C) Allen Pearson, All Rights Reserved

Weeklong event offers pet owners education, expert advice, resources, products, and services to help companion animals suffering from this serious but often misunderstood condition.

The week of June 25 through July 1 marks the launch of the first annual Pet Anxiety Awareness Week (PAAW), developed by Kristen Levine Pet Living to educate the pet-loving public about fear, anxiety and stress (FAS) in dogs and cats. Although veterinarians estimate that over 50 percent of dogs and cats in the U.S. suffer from FAS, the condition is often misunderstood and can result in desperate pet owners relinquishing their beloved pets.

Left untreated, dogs and cats with FAS can develop a number of behavioral problems such as destructiveness, inappropriate elimination, self-harm, excessive vocalization, and fear biting. Without access to education, resources and treatment options for FAS, these behaviors may lead owners to surrender their pets to a local shelter. In fact, the ASPCA’s National Rehoming Survey reports that behavior problems are the most common reason animals are relinquished, accounting for 47% of dogs and 42% of cats each year.

PAAW aims to help keep families together by providing resources, tools and expert advice on FAS from pet and veterinary experts like “America’s Vet” Dr. Marty Becker and renowned dog trainer Andrea Arden.

Even after the week has concluded, the Pet Anxiety Awareness page on Kristen Levine Pet Living will continue offering support with regular blog posts, advice from experts, product recommendations, and interviews with leading authorities throughout the year.

"Good Dog!"
(C) Allen Pearson, All Rights Reserved

Ms. Levine, a well-known Pet Lifestyle Expert, was inspired to create Pet Anxiety Awareness Week by her experiences with her late dog, Buck. “He had a severe case of separation anxiety and thunderstorm phobia that affected his quality of life significantly,” she recalls. “Helping Buck cope with his condition taught me how important it is to identify the signs of FAS early and to get help from veterinary professionals before the condition advances to a stage where pharmaceutical solutions are the only option. I want other pet parents to learn from our experience.”

Pet Anxiety Week is sponsored by Calmz Anxiety Relief System by Petmate. Calmz is an all-natural, drug-free solution to canine anxiety, fear and stress. The wearable therapeutic device, cradled in a Comfort Fit Vest that fits snuggly over acupressure points, features NeuroSync Technology® that emits proprietary low frequency tones, classical music and delivers a mild vibration to relieve anxiety in dogs. The device has been clinically tested by leading veterinarians and veterinary behaviorists across the country and 91% recommend the Calmz system for their patients.

“With more than 75 million dogs in America suffering from anxiety at some point in their lives, we are especially motivated to raise awareness of the issue and the options to treat it,” says Chris Wilson, Petmate’s executive vice president of marketing and product development. “We are proud to sponsor Pet Anxiety Awareness Week and the opportunity it offers to provide innovative solutions to the anxiety issues that dogs and their owners have always struggled with – one that is so vitally intrinsic to the health and happiness of America’s beloved dog families.”

Support for Pet Anxiety Week is also provided by pet and veterinary industry partners, Fear Free Pets and Vet Vine.