New veterinary-focused initiative brings a decade of U.S. education on fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) in companion animals to European veterinary clinics
TAMPA, FL, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Pet Anxiety Awareness Month (PAAW), the U.S. initiative founded by pet care expert Kristen Levine in 2017, is expanding internationally with the launch of Pet Anxiety Awareness Day in Europe on October 12, 2026, supported by Orion Pharma Animal Health.
The European launch marks the first formal step in PAAW’s international expansion, following ten years of PAAW as an annual U.S. awareness initiative supported by veterinary professionals, behavior experts, and animal-health partners. Where the U.S. program is a consumer and media-facing campaign each June, Pet Anxiety Awareness Day in Europe is a veterinary-focused initiative: assets and education are distributed through veterinary clinics, reaching pet parents through their veterinary team — veterinarians, technicians, and staff. This year’s launch will include activation in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland, with educational resources available online across Europe.
“It’s such an honor to see a grassroots initiative — one that started with my own dog’s struggle with separation and noise anxiety — grow into something that can now reach and support pet parents and veterinary professionals across Europe,” said Kristen Levine, founder of Pet Anxiety Awareness Month. “This expansion stays true to what PAAW has always been, an educational, collaborative movement, not a brand-owned campaign. The goal has never changed — help pet parents recognize the signs of anxiety and know when to talk to their veterinarian.”
“Advancing education among pet owners and veterinary professionals is essential for the early identification of anxiety and the prevention of prolonged animal distress. We are pleased to support the expansion of this important educational initiative across Europe” says Mira Korpivaara Medical Lead for Behavior at Orion Pharma Animal Health.
Fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) are among the most common behavioral concerns in companion animals, yet the signs are often subtle, and pet parents don’t always connect them to an underlying medical condition — so the conversation with a veterinarian may not happen until the condition is severe, if at all. Pet Anxiety Awareness Day is built to close that gap by putting the topic in front of pet parents where the conversation is most likely to start: the clinic itself. A poster or brochure in the waiting room can be the prompt a pet parent needs to mention a behavior change to their veterinarian, rather than dismiss it as “that’s just how my pet is.” To support that conversation, Pet Anxiety Awareness Day offers European veterinary professionals a focused, evidence-based set of tools — a clinic poster with QR code, an educational infographic, and a short video — designed for use directly in clinic settings. Clinics are encouraged to keep materials on display and continue the conversation with pet parents throughout the week of October 12.
The initiative reflects PAAW’s long-standing principle that awareness and education must come first — so pet parents can recognize the signs and know when to talk to their veterinarian — and that no single organization or commercial partner owns the movement. Pet Anxiety Awareness Day in Europe was developed in collaboration with Orion Pharma Animal Health and committed to that same educational, science-first approach, and is intended as the foundation for a broader, locally adapted international model in the years ahead.
Veterinary professionals and clinics across Europe can learn more and access educational resources at petanxietyawareness.eu, available in English, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Hungarian, Czech, and Swedish.
About Pet Anxiety Awareness Month
Pet Anxiety Awareness Month, founded by Kristen Levine, is an annual initiative dedicated to educating pet parents and veterinary professionals about fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) in companion animals. Marking its 10th anniversary in the United States in 2026, the initiative brings together veterinarians, behaviorists, and pet care partners each June to provide resources, raise awareness, and improve outcomes for pets and their families. In 2026, the initiative also launched its first international expansion, Pet Anxiety Awareness Day, in Europe. Learn more at www.petanxietyawareness.com and petanxietyawareness.eu.
About Orion Pharma
Orion Pharma is a globally operating Nordic pharmaceutical company – a builder of well-being for over a hundred years. The company develop, manufacture and market human and veterinary pharmaceuticals as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients, combining trusted expertise with continuous innovation. The company has an extensive portfolio of proprietary and generic medicines and consumer health products. The core therapy areas of pharmaceutical R&D are oncology and pain. Proprietary products are used to treat cancer, respiratory diseases and neurological diseases, among others. In 2025 net sales amounted to EUR 1,890 million, and they employ about 4,000 professionals worldwide, dedicated to building well-being.
Media Contacts
Kristen Levine Founder, Pet Anxiety Awareness Month kristen@kristenlevine.com 727-480-8030
Alessio Giannelli Coordinating Pet Anxiety Awareness Day in Europe, Orion Pharma Animal Health alessio.giannelli@orionpharma.com
Christina Weber-Villumsen, Vice President Corporate Communications Brand and Public Affairs, Orion Pharma, christina.weber-villumsen@orionpharma.com
Kristen Levine
Pet Anxiety Awareness
+1 727-480-8030
kristen@kristenlevine.com
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