Woman Soothes Anxious Shelter Pups To Sleep With Beautiful Cello Performance

Apr 29, 2019

Every dog at the Town and Country Human Society loves when Cheryl Wallace walks through the shelter's front door. She is always greeted with yelps, whimpers, barks from dogs of every shape and size

Although rescue centers strive to improve their conditions for the dogs, the crowded space often makes it difficult to create a stress-free environment. Instead of volunteering to pet the dogs, Wallace has found that her unique talents have a calming effect on the residents at this shelter.

Wallace arrives each week to play soothing music with her cello. Every eye in the shelter focuses on Wallace when she tunes her cello and warms up with some mellow tunes.

Wallace always plays songs that are slow and relaxing, allowing the soothing sound of the instrument to resonate throughout the entire shelter. Although this space is normally filled with barking, everything falls silent when Wallace starts playing classical music.

Puppies are put to sleep by the soothing music, while older dogs simply lay down and rest. In an interview with KETV, Wallace jokingly said that a napping audience isn't usually indicative of a good performance. When it comes to playing in the shelter, however, a tired and relaxed audience is her goal.

Wallace has spent many years playing classical music for dogs in shelters. She has seen how powerful this music can be when played for a fearful, desperate animal. On her website, Wallace even claims that she has seen behavior changes in feral dogs during her performances.

According to her report, one of these feral dogs felt comfortable enough to come out of hiding. Another dog even allowed a volunteer to pet him for the first time.

Craig DenHerder works as the Director of Operations at the shelter. He believes that music can have a positive impact on the dogs. Instead of constant barking and uneasiness, the music allows the dogs to relax and even sleep in some cases.

According to the Papillion Animal Hospital's veterinarian and owner, classical music has been linked to relaxed and calm behavior in dogs who live in stressful environments.

There are several studies that have established a correlation between classical music and calming effects in animals.

Lower stress levels and reduced anxiety are both results that have been seen from simply playing classical music.

Wallace hopes that her story will encourage other musicians to offer their talents to shelter animals across the country.

Do you know anyone with skills that may help shelter dogs, like the ability to play classical music? Let us know in the comments! If you found this article inspiring, share it with a friend or family member who loves to play music.