Latest news with #shelterpets
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The non-profit charity where musicians play songs to shelter pets
Yuvi Agarwal, a 12-year-old from Houston, founded the non-profit Wild Tunes in 2023 to use music to soothe shelter pets. Wild Tunes recruits volunteer musicians to perform in animal shelters, currently operating in Houston, New Jersey, and Denver with around 100 participants. Agarwal and other musicians have observed calming effects on animals, with some becoming more receptive to human interaction and potentially more adoptable. While the calming effect of music on humans is well-documented, its precise role in animal behavior is still under research, with some studies showing positive effects but also mixed results depending on various factors. Agarwal aims to expand Wild Tunes nationwide, highlighting the reciprocal benefits for volunteers who gain confidence performing for a nonjudgmental audience.
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The 12-year-old boy who set up a charity for musicians to play songs to animals stuck in shelters
Music, often hailed as humanity's universal language, is now being put to an extraordinary test by a 12-year-old Houston boy, who is using its power to soothe some of the most vulnerable members of the animal kingdom: shelter pets. Yuvi Agarwal, who began playing keyboard at the age of four, first noticed the calming effect of his music on his family's restless golden doodle, Bozo. This observation sparked a curiosity: could music similarly alleviate stress in homeless animals? With the support of his parents, both with marketing backgrounds, Yuvi founded the non-profit Wild Tunes in 2023. The organisation recruits volunteer musicians to perform in animal shelters, and has already enlisted around 100 singers and instrumentalists of all ages and abilities, playing at nine shelters across 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" at the Denver Animal Shelter. Agarwal recounts how many of his four-legged listeners, including cats, initially become excited upon his arrival, only to settle into a state of calm within minutes, some even falling asleep. He vividly recalls a rescue dog named Penelope in Houston who refused to leave her enclosure to eat. "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. The initiative extends beyond Yuvi's personal performances. In Denver, professional musician Sarah McDonner, who met Agarwal in Houston and helped bring the programme to Colorado, played Mozart and Bach on her flute for Max, a one-year-old stray boxer. McDonner believes the programme offers vital positive human interaction. "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," she said, adding that it "makes them more adoptable in the long run." While the calming effect of music on humans is well-documented, its precise role in animal behaviour remains a subject of ongoing research. Several studies suggest classical music can have a soothing influence on dogs in stressful environments like shelters. However, some researchers caution that more data is needed to definitively support these claims. Lori Kogan, chair of the human-animal interaction section of the American Psychological Association and a professor at Colorado State University, has studied human-animal bonds for over two decades. She notes that research on music's effect on dogs often yields mixed results due to numerous variables, including setting, volume, music type, tempo, breed, and prior exposure. "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," Kogan explained. She advocates for a case-by-case approach, suggesting that if a pet appears calmer and enjoys the music, it provides positive enrichment. Despite the scientific nuances, Yuvi Agarwal views his firsthand experiences in shelters as undeniable proof of music's comforting power for stressed animals. He aims to expand Wild Tunes into a nationwide programme, noting the reciprocal benefits for volunteers. "You get a really great way to practice your instrument or sing in front of a nonjudgmental audience, which can boost your confidence," he said.
ABC News
13-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Animal shelters struggle with influx of surrendered pets, as owners face cost of living pressure
Bernadette Relos and husband, Nathan Calverley, are self-described animal lovers who live in a bustling house in Darwin's outskirts suburb of Berrimah. They have two cats and a one-year-old puppy, which they recently adopted from a shelter. The South Australian couple who moved to the Top End for work said their "fur babies" brought chaos and destruction, but much-needed colour to their lives. "They bring life to the household … you can be lonely, and one of the cats will jump on you, and then you're not lonely anymore," Mr Calverley said. "You could walk in the front door, and everyone doesn't say a word, but the dog will come running … and start licking you and saying hello." Ms Relos said they decided to adopt because they wanted pets that would grow up with their young family. But as some are choosing to bring furry friends into their forever homes, animal shelters are seeing the opposite. Charles Giliam, the Northern Territory's RSPCA operations manager, said there had been an increasing number of surrendered pets due to people experiencing financial difficulties. He said most pets being dropped on shelter doorsteps were mixed breeds, weighing around 20 to 30 kilograms, with backyard breeding worsening the situation. "[People] bring pets to us that are often in need of veterinary treatment … and say, 'We just don't have the money'," he said. The RSPCA estimates most dog owners spend an average of $25,000 on their pet during its lifetime, while cat owners spend $21,000 on average. The charity says that within the first year of cat ownership, people could face up to $3,500 of expenses on food, desexing, grooming, bedding, toys and treats. Mr Giliam said the influx of surrendered pets was creating significant challenges for shelters. "We probably got about 15 to 20 people on our waiting list who are wanting to surrender … but we are chock-a-block full," he said. RSPCA national data showed around 81,000 pets were surrendered in the 2023/2024 financial year, with only 27,000 finding new homes. David Neilson, a volunteer at the Darwin RSPCA shelter, said the increasing demand was leaving some volunteers "overwhelmed". "There are so many volunteers that are here through the week to walk the dogs and sit with the cats and we are not getting through everything … it makes it difficult," he said. While many in the rescue sector are worried about the growing crisis, there are also concerns the NT's animal rights laws are ineffective. Unlike most other Australian jurisdictions, the NT does not have a formal dog breeder licensing scheme, however breeders are still expected to meet standards of care under the Animal Protection Act. Melissa Purick, a licensed dachshund breeder, said it was "frustrating" to see people buy pets from unlicensed backyard breeders without considering the animal's welfare. "I would like to see that stopped to start with, where you can't sell puppies at the markets or the side of the road," she said. Hannah Bohlin, an animal advocate, believes growing use of social media is glamorising pet ownership without highlighting its challenges. She said if people adopted pets that were incompatible with their lifestyle, cost of living could become a "scapegoat" to surrender animals that were no longer valued. She wants the NT to look at what other states and countries are doing to manage pet breeding and ownership. "I would like to see a discussion around the possibility of introducing some kind of licence system [to own a pet]," she said. "Some European countries do operate this kind of system to get a dog in the first place."
CBS News
30-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Denver Animal Shelter adopts music program to help calm pets, get them adopted
Since the beginning of 2025, 680 dogs at the Denver Animal Shelter have been given up by their owners. That's only in the first five months, and more than all of 2019. That year, there were 540 dogs total. CBS With so many pets at the services of the animal shelter, it has also required a way to keep them feeling happy and safe until they find new forever homes. So Denver Animal Shelter is using music to make those pets waiting for adoption more comfortable and less stressed. "I find it really touching that my music is able to make such a difference for the animals," Yuvi Agarwal said. "They honestly don't care who you are. They just care that you're doing something good for them. So I like that. That's all that matters." The 12-year-old is combining his love for animals with his love for music to help shelter pets across the nation. "My son has been an animal lover all his life," Priyanka Agarwal said. "So once, when I took him to read to the animals at a local animal shelter in Houston, after reading to the animals, he was like, 'Mama, can I come and play music for them?'" That's how Agarwal, then just 10 years old, started Wild Tunes. The nonprofit brings together volunteers to play music for the animals. "For the dogs, they come from very rough backgrounds," Yuvi said. "This is generally a highly stressed environment for them. Music has been clinically shown to reduce that stress, and it also helps them rebuild their bridges with humans, and it helps them get adopted faster." In two short years, Wild Tunes has grown to more than 100 volunteers across three states, with the new addition of Colorado. "It gives me goosebumps," Priyanka said . "He's really been a trailblazer in that sense. I'd like to be in as many states as possible over the next five years. I've just seen so many beautiful moments, like when a volunteer would start playing, and a pup would just come look at them. Their ears would perk up, or they'd kind of move their head. Difficult to describe, but it's really lovely." Due to an overwhelming interest, Denver Animal Shelter is hosting an orientation for volunteers who have already applied on Saturday, May 31 and another on June 14. "The response was immediately we love this idea," a Denver Animal Shelter spokesperson told CBS Colorado. "It's just like another way for us to connect with community members that we haven't connected with yet to join our volunteer program." Yuvi calls it a win-win for the animals, the staff and the musicians. But for him, "Honestly making a difference in the animals is the best part," he said.
Forbes
06-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
Empty The Shelters Offers Discounted Pet Adoptions Across America
A litter of puppies waits for potential adopters in an animal shelter. getty If you've been thinking about adopting a shelter pet, there's no time like the present. In honor of May's National Pet Month, the nonprofit Bissell Pet Foundation's Empty the Shelters event is offering reduced adoption fees of $70 or less at over 380 animal shelters in 43 U.S. states from May 1-15 — with every dog or cat spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. It's all because of a shelter dog named Bear. Cathy Bissell, founder of Bissell Pet Foundation, didn't step foot into an animal shelter until her late 40s because she assumed it would be too sad. 'I was so nervous because I loved animals so much,' she says. 'I just didn't think my heart could handle seeing animals in the shelter.' But while hosting a fundraiser for a local Michigan animal shelter, her veterinarian introduced her to a 'regal, well-behaved' black Labrador retriever named Bear. His former owners had surrendered the 6-year-old Lab to a shelter for digging in their backyard. 'He must have been bored,' she says. A black Lab named Bear opened Cathy Bissell's eyes to the fact that wonderful pets are available in ... More animal shelters across America. Courtesy of Cathy Bissell Bissell convinced her husband that they should adopt Bear, who proved to be such an exceptional pet that he opened her eyes to the fact that many 'incredible' animals are waiting in shelters for forever homes. To help spread awareness and get people to consider adopting pets from animal shelters, Bissell Pet Foundation launched Empty the Shelters in 2016. It started small — just covering the bulk of adoption fees at a single shelter in Michigan to help get pets into homes — but it was so successful that other shelters started requesting help. Now Empty the Shelters is a national event has helped over 324,000 pets get out of shelters and into permanent homes. Many are bonded pairs who must be adopted together, or dogs who had been in an animal shelter for months or even over a year, she notes. 'Bear changed my life and changed the life of many, many other pets because I had a mission to make people aware of how wonderful pets were that were in the shelter,' Bissell says. 'So that's what it's about: bringing awareness to these incredible animals that are waiting for a second chance at life.' She notes there's an urgent need this year, as overcrowded shelters face financial constraints. Pets are being surrendered to shelters due to economic uncertainty — with some animal advocates concerned that tariffs will lead to an influx of pets into shelters — as well as a dearth of rental properties that allow pets and the rising costs of veterinary care. The Fostering Option There's a particular need for both adopters and fosters during the warmer months of kitten season. getty Potential adopters should consider whether they have the budget and time to bring home a pet, according to Bissell. For those who aren't ready, she notes that fostering is a terrific way to help shelters. (For instance, there's always a need for volunteers fostering kittens during the warmer months of kitten season.) Empty the Shelters has a fostering component so that potential adopters can see how a dog or cat fits into their family. While it's possible to get an idea of a pet's personality while they're in a shelter, sometimes they blossom in a home environment. For the past several weeks, she's been fostering a bonded pair of Labs — Bo and KC — who were so stressed during their three months in a shelter that they barked incessantly. 'In the three weeks that they've been here, the de-stressing that has gone on has been phenomenal,' she says. 'They know how to sit. They know how to do everything. They're extremely well behaved, but the shelter life was difficult for them. These dogs were barking a lot because they were so stressed and they hardly bark now. They're perfect angels.' Bissell grew so enamored with Bo and KC that she offered to pay their adoption fee from Michigan's Harbor Humane Society — which turned out to be just $25 each thanks to the Empty the Shelters discounted adoption fees. They're going to their new forever home today — a parting that will be bittersweet for Bissell but deeply rewarding. Because pets can make such a positive impact on our lives, she hopes Americans will consider adopting or fostering shelter pets, or volunteering at shelters, which have jobs ranging from playing with cats and walking dogs to doing laundry or making enrichment toys. Ultimately, pets bring companionship, exercise, fun personalities and unconditional love into our lives, Bissell says. 'We think that we're saving them, but they save us,' she says. 'Pets are just wonderful.'
