ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Dozens of animals arrive at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA on any given day.  

The atmosphere of any animal shelter can be chaotic, as the pets hold out for a permanent living situation.  

"This is a stressful environment. As much as we try to make [the pets] at ease and happy and calm, it's just not a home environment," said Emily Swecker, the shelter's director of development and communications.

To make things easier on the animals, a CASPCA volunteer is stringing together a short-term solution.

Kate Tamarkin cuts through the mayhem by using music, specifically her talents with the harp.

"For a cat that's stressed, the music can help de-stress," Tamarkin said.

It started when Tamarkin was playing her harp for people at Hospice of the Piedmont for a program called "Music by the Bedside."

"I noticed that the animals often would sleep at the feet of the patient," Tamarkin said. "I thought, if the music has that effect on an animal in a home, in its own environment, perhaps it would really help an animal who's in a cage waiting for their, what do you call it, forever home."

The appreciation goes both ways.

"It makes me feel like a million bucks, to be honest with you," Tamarkin said.

The certified music practitioner, with a history of leading the Charlottesville Symphony, is continuing her musical talents by bringing it to those who may need it most.