Latest news with #DenverAnimalShelter
The Star
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
US teen recruits musicians to play at animal shelters
It is often said music is the universal language of humanity. Now a 12-year-old Houston boy is putting that to the test for an unlikely audience – man's best friend. Yuvi Agarwal started playing keyboard when he was four and several years ago noticed his playing soothed his family's restless golden doodle, Bozo. He grew curious if it also could help stressed homeless animals. With help from his parents, who both have backgrounds in marketing, he founded the nonprofit Wild Tunes in 2023 to recruit musicians to play in animal shelters. So far he has enlisted about 100 volunteer musicians and singers of all ages and abilities to perform at nine shelters in Houston, New Jersey and Denver. "You don't have to understand the lyrics to enjoy the music. Just enjoy the melody, the harmony and the rhythms. So it transcends linguistic barriers, and even it can just transcend species,' Agarwal said recently after playing hits like The Beatles' Hey Jude and Ed Sheeran's Perfect on his portable keyboard at the Denver Animal Shelter. Agarwal founded Wild Tunes to soothe stressed shelter animals with live music. He plays the keyboard at the Denver Animal Shelter. Agarwal, who was playing for an elderly miniature poodle named Pituca – Spanish slang sometimes used to describe a snob – said many of his four-legged listeners, which include cats, become excited when he enters their kennel. But after a few minutes of playing, they calm down. Some even go to sleep. He remembers a rescue dog named Penelope that refused to come out of her enclosure in Houston to be fed. "Within a short period of me playing, she went from not even coming out of her kennel to licking me all over my face and nibbling my ears,' Agarwal said. A few stalls down from where he was jamming on his keyboard at the Denver shelter, volunteer Sarah McDonner played Mozart and Bach on her flute for Max, a one-year-old stray boxer that tilted his head when she hit the high notes. "The animals having that human interaction in a positive way, I think, gives them something to look forward to, something that is different throughout their day,' said McDonner, a professional musician who met Agarwal in Houston. She helped bring the programme to Colorado after moving to Denver a few months ago."I think it's very important to give them something different from what they're used to in their little tiny cages... and makes them more adoptable in the long run,' McDonner said. McDonner, a volunteer for Wild Tunes plays the flute at the Denver Animal Shelter. — Photos: THOMAS PEIPERT/AP Is music great for animals? While the effect of music on humans has been studied extensively, its role in animal behavior remains murky. Several studies suggest that classical music generally has a calming influence on dogs in stressful environments like kennels, shelters and veterinary clinics. But some researchers warn there is not enough data to support the claim. "We always want these really simplistic answers. So we want to say that music calms animals, for example, and I think that it's much more nuanced than that,' said Lori Kogan, a self-described "dog-person" who chairs the human-animal interaction section of the American Psychological Association. "There's a lot more research that needs to happen before I think that we can unequivocally say that music is a great thing for animals." Agarwal founded Wild Tunes to soothe stressed shelter animals with live music. He plays the keyboard at the Denver Animal Shelter. Kogan, a professor and researcher at Colorado State University, has studied for more than two decades how animals and humans get along. Research involving the effect of music on dogs often produces mixed results, she said, because there are so many variables: the setting; the volume, type and tempo of the music and the breed of the dog and its previous exposure to music. She suggests a case-by-case approach to introducing music to animals. "If you play music for your pet, and they seem to like it and they appear calmer, then I think we can say that that's a positive thing, that you're providing some level of enrichment for that pet.... I would encourage people to give it a try and to see how their pets respond,' she said. For Agarwal, his firsthand experience at shelters is undeniable evidence that music helps comfort stressed animals, and he plans to grow Wild Tunes into a nationwide programme. The volunteers get something out of it, too, he said. "You get a really great way to practice your instrument or sing in front of a nonjudgemental audience, which can boost your confidence,' he said. – AP
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Denver Animal Protection warns public, pet owners after bats test positive for rabies
A second bat has tested positive for rabies in Denver, this time in the Highlands Neighborhood. The first bat of the year to test positive in Denver was found in the Sloan Lake Neighborhood on July 8. On July 17, a family in the Highlands Neighborhood reported a second positive bat. Rabies can be transmitted through saliva, usually through a bite from an animal with the disease. Authorities said the disease affects the nervous system and is usually fatal if symptoms develop. They stressed the importance of keeping pets up to date on their rabies vaccinations. A low-cost vaccine clinic is available at the Denver Animal Shelter on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Fort Collins Natural Areas Program said, "Like all mammals, bats can get rabies. However, only ½ of 1% of bats contract rabies. When they do, they are very sick and usually die. If you see a bat on the ground or during the daytime, it might be sick. Don't touch it, keep children and pets away." You can learn more about the types of bats in Colorado here. The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment urged the public to be cautious and avoid contact with bats and other wild animals. They said that most people in Denver come into contact with bats when they find their way into a home, and advised residents not to sleep with open and unscreened windows and doors. If a bat manages to enter the house, close it off and call Denver Animal Protection to remove it. If an animal bites you, DAP said to flush the wound and wash thoroughly with soap and water, then contact your doctor. Someone bitten by an animal positive for rabies may be started on post-exposure prophylaxis treatment to prevent the development of the disease. All animal bites and scratches should be reported to DAP
Axios
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Denver's $800M bond package for infrastructure projects takes shape
Denver is one step closer to deciding how it might spend a proposed $800 million bond package that Mayor Mike Johnston wants on the November ballot. State of play: An executive committee handpicked by Johnston — including former Mayor Federico Peña and Denver City Council president Amanda Sandoval — submitted a list of recommended infrastructure projects to Johnston after months of public input. The process drew more than 6,200 survey responses and nearly 1,000 town hall attendees. The big picture: The proposal spans streets, bridges, parks and public safety — but lacks a clear cornerstone project to define the bond. Instead, it focuses on dozens of smaller, long-awaited fixes and new additions: 🏥 Public health and safety New first responder training center A children's advocacy center Upgrades to Denver Health's Westside clinic Denver Animal Shelter expansion 🌳 Parks and public spaces Build-out of two new parks at Emporia Park and Park Hill Park Safety lighting on Cherry Creek and High Line trails Sloan's Lake cleanup Renovations to the Decker, Montbello and Blair Caldwell African American Research libraries 🏘️ Housing and culture A co-located library and housing project in East Denver Site prep for a future American Indian Cultural Embassy 🚧 Infrastructure Santa Fe improvements between Sixth and 13th Avenues — a notorious choke point. Bridge and viaduct repairs, including Cherry Creek crossings and the Quebec bridge over Airlawn Road Upgrades to the Marion and 38th and Blake underpasses What's next: Johnston will review the recommendations and, in the coming weeks, submit a formal package to the Denver City Council, which must vote to put it on the Nov. 4 ballot.
USA Today
03-07-2025
- General
- USA Today
Animal shelters are overrun with pets after July 4. You don't have to adopt to help.
Independence Day fireworks will fade, but lost or abandoned cats and dogs will suffer long after the final boom. Fear of fireworks is one of the most common challenges faced by dog owners. Animals will often display visible signs of anxiety − like shaking, pacing the room or hiding − when faced with the booms and flashes. Some pets will even run away, which is why it should come as no surprise that July 5 is among the busiest days of the year for pet shelters. Americans can take preemptive steps to keep furry family members secure during the festivities. But with an estimated 45% of households owning a dog, successful canine escape artists are inevitable. That's why it's so important to foster a robust network of local pet shelters. The frontline volunteers at these facilities will care for lost or abandoned pets until they can be reunited or paired with loving homes. Sadly, we are missing the mark in that regard. Local pet shelters across the country are drowning. Headline after headline describes how pet shelters operating on shoestring budgets are being overwhelmed with animals. 'Pet surrenders soar in Chicago, pushing city shelter to the brink,' one reads. Another warns: 'South Georgia animal shelters struggle with overcrowding as euthanasia rates climb.' A Colorado headline: 'Dog surrenders are soaring at Denver Animal Shelter.' While established, national charities are well suited to tackle certain societal problems, sheltering homeless animals is a different story. It's a national crisis that is most effectively tackled by community solutions. Your dog wants us to ban fireworks. Do you agree? Take our poll. | Opinion Give to organizations that provide the most help The key is directly supporting local pet shelters, rather than sending money to national groups headquartered in New York or Washington, DC. Large animal charities like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) or Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States, will produce flashy fundraising appeals and hobnob with politicians. But humble, laborious activities like caring for homeless cats and dogs all year are low on their priority lists. Neither group is affiliated with local pet shelters, despite sometimes having similar-sounding names. And while both of the large organizations feature compelling imagery of homeless cats and dogs to solicit donations, only a small fraction of fundraised dollars go to local pet shelters as financial grants. The ASPCA contributes about 2% of its more than $350 million budget. Humane World for Animals gives only 1% of its nearly $180 million budget. The best thing Americans can do to help alleviate the homeless pet crisis is to donate directly to, or volunteer at, their local shelters. Diverting a chunk of donor generosity that currently supports national groups to instead help local pet shelters would go a long way toward saving the lives of thousands of cats and dogs. A Fourth of July message from dogs: Why the loud fireworks? Can't you just wag your tails? | Opinion Companies and influencers also have a responsibility to support local shelters over large, national animal nonprofits. For example, one recent contestant on "Celebrity Jeopardy!" competed to win $1 million for Humane World for Animals. The game show's grand prize would more effectively help homeless cats and dogs if it funded a handful of local pet shelters that are strapped for resources. Evite, an online virtual invitation platform, is another example. The website currently offers users the opportunity to donate to the ASPCA after RSVPing to events like birthday parties or weddings. The pop-up message says it would 'give more animals the food, water, and shelter they need to survive.' Evite could better help homeless cats and dogs by directing visitors to support local pet shelters. Independence Day fireworks will fade, but lost or abandoned cats and dogs will suffer long after the final boom. Generous Americans should directly support local pet shelters to help these animals because national charities are dropping the ball. In the land of "pup-portunity," no homeless animal should be left behind. Edwin Sayres was president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals from 2003 to 2013. He is a senior adviser to the Center for the Environment and Welfare.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Dog and cat intake on the rise as Denver Animal Shelter extends weekend hours to increase adoptions
In the last six months, the Denver Animal Shelter has taken in more than 4,600 animals - a 4% increase from this time last year, according to the Denver Animal Shelter. Ten-year-old Bella knows her health comes first. For Belen Tzintzún Chávez, getting her dog vaccinated is a top priority -- especially when it's affordable. "In this economy, it's been difficult to keep up, but I still make it a priority," she said. "I value my dog a lot, and I just want to make sure she's always protected." To support pet owners like Chávez, the Denver Animal Shelter is making a significant shift. Its low-cost vaccine clinics will now take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, freeing up four extra hours every weekend strictly for adoptions. "We're seeing a big number of surrenders. A lot of it has to do with socioeconomic needs," said shelter director Melanie Sobel. With the rising costs of living and pet care, shelters are having to adapt. This year, the shelter has also reported a rise in the number of emaciated dogs brought in, many showing signs of severe neglect. "In the last few months, we've seen more emaciated animals come in -- dogs particularly," Sobel said. "This could be due to a medical condition or simply a lack of nourishment." In 2024, the Denver Animal Shelter took in nearly 10,000 animals -- a 45% increase from pre-pandemic numbers. Staff say the newly adjusted hours are critical to keep up with the growing demand. "We want to do as many adoptions as possible," Sobel said. From 9-11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, DAS will focus only on pet adoptions, providing four additional hours of adoption time each weekend. All other services, including surrendering pets, picking up lost animals, owner euthanasia requests, permitting, licensing, and more, will operate from 11 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about you can visit their website Adoptable Pets. You can also view our lost and found animals, who may soon become available for adoption. In July, dogs over 1 year old and over 50 pounds are $50, while cats over 1 year old are $40. Adoption fees include spay/neuter surgery, vaccines, a microchip, and a one-year pet license.
