These amazing kids are giving us hope that the world can get better. The idea is called Shelter Buddies Reading program and it’s really making a difference for animals. Kids are reading to the animals and are bringing shy dogs out of their shells.
“We wanted to help our shy and fearful dog without forcing physical interaction with them to see the positive effect that could have on them. We launched the program last Christmas, but now we offer it once a month,” explains program director Jo Klepacki.
Kids age 6-15 can sign up for this amazing program online. In the program, they’re trained to read a dog’s body language to tell if the dogs are feeling anxious or stressed. The young volunteers sit in front of the kennel and read to the shy dogs.
“Ideally, that shy and fearful dog will approach and show interest. If so, the kids reinforce 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,” says Klepacki.
“Hearing a child reading can really calm those animals,” Klepacki said. “It is incredible, the response we’ve seen in these dogs.”
Each child completes a 10 hour training program before starting to work with the dogs. After they finish the training, they can come back any time they want and read to the animals in the shelter. Although the program is extremely great for the animals, it’s also teaching these kids an important lesson.
“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 animals perspective. That helps them better connect with animals and people in their lives,” explains Klepacki.
Watch the heartwarming video:
Source: The Dodo