Kristen Levine Pet Living will kick off the first annual Pet Anxiety Awareness Week (PAAW) on June 25 to educate pet owners and pet lovers in general about anxiety, fear and stress (FAS) in dogs and cats. Veterinarians estimate that more than 50 percent of dogs and cats in the U.S. suffer from FAS, which can result in desperate pet owners relinquishing their 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, said Kristen Levine Pet Living in a statement. 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 percent of dogs and 42 percent of cats each year. PAAW aims to help keep families together by providing resources, tools and expert advice about FAS from pet and veterinary experts like “America’s Vet” Dr. Marty Becker. After the week has ended, the Pet Anxiety Awareness page on Kristen Levine Pet Living will continue to offer support with regular blog posts, advice from experts, product recommendations and interviews with leading authorities throughout the year. Levine, a pet lifestyle expert, was inspired to create PAAW 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 said. “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.” PAAW is sponsored by Calmz Anxiety Relief System by Petmate. Calmz is a wearable therapeutic device that fits snuggly over acupressure points, features NeuroSync Technology that emits proprietary low frequency tones and classical music, and delivers a mild vibration to relieve anxiety in dogs, according to Petmate. Leading veterinarians and veterinary behaviorists across the country has clinically tested the device, and 91 percent recommend the Calmz system for their patients, according to the manufacturer. Support for PAAW also is provided by pet and veterinary industry partners, Fear Free Pets and Vet Vine.
