Readers to the Rescue

This is an exciting new semester-long program designed for children in grades 1–5! Twice each month on Saturday mornings, your child and a parent or guardian will visit the shelter to read aloud to our shelter dogs. 

During each visit, your child will spend 20 minutes reading outside a dog’s kennel, helping build reading fluency, confidence, and a love of books in a calm, supportive environment. Research has shown that reading to dogs can benefit both children and animals. A calm, attentive dog creates a judgment-free audience that encourages young readers, while the calm, rhythmic sound of a child’s reading can help reduce stress and promote relaxation for shelter dogs. 

A HAWS staff member will be available during each session to answer questions and recommend dogs that would benefit most from a reading visit. While each reading session is primarily self-guided, all participants will be invited to celebrate their accomplishments together at a special end-of-semester party! 

Please Note: Families will read outside the dogs’ kennels, and there is no direct physical interaction with the animals during this program. Even so, your time makes a meaningful difference by providing enrichment and helping improve the dogs’ quality of stay while they wait for their forever homes. 

Program Highlights:

• Read to Shelter Dogs: Practice reading aloud in a calm, supportive environment with a furry, judgment-free listener. 
• Help Shelter Animals: Your reading provides valuable enrichment that helps reduce stress and improves the dogs’ quality of stay. 
• Create Compassion: Foster empathy, kindness, and a love of helping animals while giving back to the community. 
• Semester Celebration: Celebrate your child’s accomplishments with a fun end-of-semester party for all participants.