Volunteers play music to make shelter animals feel better

It’s often said that music is the universal language of humans. A 12-year-old boy from Houston is testing this idea with animals, especially dogs. Yuvi Agarwal started playing the keyboard at age four. He noticed his music soothed his family’s dog, Bozo. This made him wonder if music could also help other animals feel relaxed, especially homeless ones.

With his parents’ help, Yuvi started a group called Wild Tunes in 2023. The group brings musicians to animal shelters. So far, about 100 musicians of different ages have played at nine shelters in Houston, New Jersey, and Denver. Yuvi says you don’t need to understand the words to enjoy music. Music transcends languages and even species.

At a Denver shelter, Yuvi played songs like The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” for dogs and cats. Many animals get excited when he arrives. But they calm down, and some even sleep after he plays. While music’s effect on humans is well-known, its role in animal behavior is less clear. Some experts say music may help animals. However, more research is needed to know for sure.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.