Fantastic Innovation
This is a brilliant program, established a few years ago between the Humane Society of Missouri and The Shelter Buddies Reading Program. The best part is this program is fun and helps children and dogs.
Undoubtedly, pups isolated in shelters have fewer human interactions. As a result, some of these animals are shy and fearful. These tendencies reduce their adoption potential.
Youths sitting on the floor clearly gain a puppy’s interest. They get closer to the reader and visibly connect to the attention. When these moments of relationship building occur, the kids share treats, creating positive reinforcement.
The puppy response is remarkable, Jo Klepacki told The Dodo during an interview. Listening to the young people read is calming for the animals.
Her vision of the program is fulfilled, but she wants to expand it across Missouri.
The Plan and Benefits
Parents and children sign up for this program online. Subsequently, an online lesson is made available to teach the students doggy body language. After training, youngsters recognize stress in a pup and change the reading tone. This makes building animal relationships easier. Equally, energetic dogs also gain value from the soothing voices of the readers.
Local children, aged 6 to 15, come to the shelter once a month. If they want, they visit and read more often. Parents bring their children and help supervise.
There are numerous benefits from the program:
- Indeed, dogs get more comfortable with people around them.
- Attention makes a big difference in puppy confidence.
- Young people benefit by practicing their reading skills.
- Reading aloud improves content comprehension.
As a rule, a wide array of books are good to read. These include short stories, chapter books, or event history. Dogs are responding to the voice and tone.
Consequently, youngsters develop empathy for animals. Parents encourage this relationship-building education. Additionally, parents are involved in helping their children read better. Kids can see the positive impact their reading has on reducing puppy fears. As a result, this animal connection will improve their social skills.
Indeed, this activity is a definite win/win. It is a great way to get involved and give back to the community. Family activities are valuable for healthy growth.
This program plans to extend to other locations. Cat sanctuaries might be included. Best of all, this program helps well-read dogs find their forever homes.