Delivering high-quality pre- and post-travel animal care  and veterinary services, The ARK at JFK (The ARK) has joined forces with Zoundz Music For Pets™ (Zoundz) to advance initiatives focused on improving overall pet wellness throughout the traveling  process. 

The creative partnership to incorporate music therapy throughout ARK’s 24/7 state-of-the-art facilities aspires to reduce stress and anxiety in dogs and cats when encountering new and unfamiliar  environments. The collaboration involves installation of Zoundz music, which was composed specifically  for dogs and cats based on scientific findings, in ARK’s reception, kennel, veterinary exam area and in transit vehicles. 

“The ARK is committed to the comfort, safety and well-being of pets and their owners throughout  boarding and while in transit,” said Elizabeth A. Schuette, ARK president and CEO. “We are dedicated to  implementing industry best practices and utilizing innovative tools and solutions to provide an ongoing  superior experience for our animal and human clients alike.” 

Zoundz music is composed and curated by a multi-disciplinary team of music composers, producers and  engineers, animal behavior researchers and specialists and veterinarian scientists who evaluate and  interpret calming attributes from notable animal behavior studies.

“Helping animals live less anxious, joyous lives is first and foremost,” said Derrick L. Garrett, Zoundz  founder and CEO. “We’ve composed an extensive library of songs carefully created with species appropriate tempo, sound frequency and instrumentation to deliver maximum calming effects to dogs  and cats during stressful situations.” 

Research published in the journals Physiology & Behavior and Journal of Veterinary Behavior,  respectively, show the potential for auditory stimulation as a highly effective environmental enrichment 

technique for kenneled dogs and playing music in a shelter environment may help mitigate some of the  stress inherent for many of these dogs. Also, key scientific findings published in the journals Applied  Animal Behaviour Science and Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 2020 showed – in cats – a  significant preference for and interest in species-appropriate music compared with human music, and  cat-specific music may benefit cats by decreasing the stress levels and increasing the quality of care in  veterinary clinical settings. 

“With a better understanding of how music can influence behavior through science, we’re excited to  expand our efforts with The ARK to help more animals relax pre- and post- travel,” said Garrett. “Additionally, the Zoundz Music For Pets™ app allows pet parents to calm, condition and connect with  their pets to help dogs and cats maintain a relaxed emotional state in a variety of everyday situations.” 

The ARK’s USDA-approved rest and inspection facility – Equine and Livestock Export Center – along with  the first of its kind in the United States specialty Equine Import and Quarantine center, focus on safety and efficiency in process and comfort, and provide the highest level of care for horses. 

“We recognize that importing horses can be stressful for the owner, agent and animal; our staff of  experienced and dedicated handlers and grooms understand the unique demands of equine care during  international travel,” said Schuette. “The ARK hopes to extend the Zoundz music installations to the  equine barns once we experience the efficacy of the music in our kennels and Zoundz produces  additional content for our equine friends.” 

Zoundz Music For Pets™ is a Connecticut-based company offering an app-based music solution,  featuring a library of proprietary music to calm anxious pets. Created for Pet Parents and Pet  Professionals, the species-specific music is composed specifically to reduce stress levels in dogs and cats.  The portfolio of Zoundz music recognizes the separate and distinct needs of dogs and cats, a wide range  of usage situations, as well as the emotional state of the pet owner and/or care provider. The Zoundz  music collection is composed using attributes that were determined to have the maximum calming  effect on dogs and cats in well-regarded animal behavior studies and Zoundz primary behavioral  research. The music features species-appropriate tempo, sound frequency and instrumentation to  deliver maximum calming effects on pets. Zoundz is endorsed by pet professionals, including Board  Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, Dr. Lisa Radosta, DVM, DACVB, Dr. Nelva J. Bryant, DVM, MPH, and  the International Boarding & Pet Services Association. Zoundz is committed to improving the well-being  of pets and offers programs for pet care providers (Veterinary Practices, Boarding & Grooming Facilities,  and Trainers), animal shelters or rescues and pet parents. For more information, visit https://www.zoundzforpets.com/. 

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