Missouri Humane Society Designed Shelter Buddies Reading Program, Kids Read Books To Timid, Anxious Dogs
From the archive: published Feb 25, 2016, 10 years ago. Details may have changed since.
The Humane Society is widely known for rescuing animals and doing their best to get the little critters adopted into good homes. One particular shelter in Missouri has launched a new program that combines kids, dogs and books into the Shelter Buddies Reading Program.
This program, which was launched in December 2015, is designed to calm some of the timid dogs that are waiting for their forever homes and they bring in young kids to help out. As reported by The Dodo, these youngsters sit down in front of the kennel with a book in hand to read to the pooches. The program also gives the children a chance to perfect their reading skills, as well.
Kids practice reading to shy shelter dogs at Missouri Humane Society: https://t.co/HklFFpIQxJ pic.twitter.com/8ffZMz3YmO
— ABC News (@ABC) February 25, 2016
What this program does for the dogs in their care is to introduce them to humans and help them to learn to socialize a little bit. This one small thing has made quite a difference in calming down the animals and showing them how to behave around people, which gives them a better chance of getting adopting from the Humane Society.
The facility trains kids, ages 6 through 15, to read to the dogs teaching them to be attentive to their body language and to spot any signs of stress or anxiousness. The training takes 10 hours and teaches kids exactly how to act around the canines. Jo Klepacki, assistant director of education at the Missouri Humane Society, explained how the program works.
“Ideally that shy and fearful dog will approach and show interest. If so, the kids reenforce that behavior by tossing them a treat. What this is also doing is to bring the animals to the front in case potential adopters come through. They are more likely to get adopted if they are approaching and interacting, rather than hiding in the back or cowering”
Klepacki also told ABC News that the program at the Humane Society serves many purposes. They wanted to find a way to comfort the stressed dogs that come into their facility. Some of the dogs were so timid that they would not come up to greet those who wanted to see them to possibly adopt them. Instead, they would sit in the back of the kennel all by themselves.
Best book club ever? This animal shelter encourages kids to read to orphaned dogs https://t.co/iTiE1Bk6dx https://t.co/7QT2X9cDh4
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) February 25, 2016
Having kids come in bringing a book with them to the Humane Society and read also gives the children a chance to do something to help shelter dogs. This is an important task that they can perform, and it gives may program participants the satisfaction knowing that they have helped to calm several fearful dogs. All while sharpening their own reading skills. There is just something about the bond between a child and a dog that seems to be quite special, as Klepacki told The Dodo.
“Hearing a child reading can really calm those animals. It is incredible, the response we’ve seen in these dogs.”
From the looks on the dog’s faces, they seem to be enjoying every minute of it. While the kids are sitting on the floor in front of the kennel at the Humane Society reading intently, the pooches have their ears up looking like they are listening to every single word. They even look interested in the pictures shown to them. Klepacki pointed out that this reading program gives so much more to the kids in the program, too.
“It’s encouraging children to develop empathy with animals. It’s a peaceful, quiet exercise. They’re seeing fearfulness in these animals, and seeing the positive affect they can have. It encourages them to look at things from an animal’s perspective. That helps them better connect with animals and people in their lives.”