10-year-old Houston boy starts his own music therapy program to help calm stressed out dogs in shelters
HOUSTON - Yuvi Agarwal isn't playing Top 40 for the pups, he's making the tunes up as he goes.
"I decide what chords I'm going to start out with and the melody and the rest of the song just comes to me," Yuvi said.
SUGGESTED: Winning numbers drawn for $1.2B Powerball jackpot, Oct. 4
The 10-year-old says he got the idea to play for shelter dogs after taking part in a reading program.
"Seeing how the dogs relaxed, I realized how music has a much stronger impact," said Yuvi.
"Right there and then he told me I want to play music for the animals," said Yuvi's mother Priyanka Agarwal. "I want to take my keyboard and I want to play music for them."
That's when Yuvi founded Wild Tunes.
"We know there's so much research into how much music can have an effect on animals," said Noelle Delgado, Executive Director Houston Pets Alive. "And we're very interested always in new ideas."
The non-profit Houston Pets Alive was the first shelter to give Yuvi a chance to perform before a captivated audience.
"As soon as he started playing, the animals just got real quiet, and they got very interested in what he had to play, and he hasn't stopped since," Delgado said.
"Dog's have a much higher hearing reach than us," Yuvi said. "They can hear much higher frequencies."
Decompressing and being around humans give shelter dogs a better chance at a forever home.
"They typically calm down and relax," said Yuvi.
"Our goal is to take it nationwide," his mother said.
"Wild Tunes is such an incredible opportunity for kids to be in front of animals, to work with them, and have an opportunity to share their gifts and talents," said Delgado.
"It gives me good practice, and I feel really happy when I play for the dogs," Yuvi said. "It's a win-win for everybody."
For more about Wild Tunes, click here.