Therapy Eases Stress for Animals at Nevada Animal Shelter
By: Melanie Huonker
Updated: June 21, 2012
NEVADA, MO. - The Nevada Animal Shelter plays classical music throughout the day to reduce noise in what can sometimes be a stressful environment.
It's a therapy technique that Nevada Animal Control Officer Ben Douglas adopted from a rescue based out of Ohio.
He was sold just by watching a video.
"[It was] dogs doing backflips in pens," Douglas says. "I thought that's our dogs. That's what we've got. They're completely out of control"
Animal Shelter Manager Amy Prather says she's seen amazing improvement.
"Whenever i first started out, we didn't have the music or kongs," Prather says. "Just trying to get them to sit or anything, you couldn't get their attention."
The shelter keeps about 20 dogs.
Douglas says their adoption rates have remained steady since they started the technique.
