Beginning reader Delvin shares a story with pug Dee, a canine volunteer with Paws to READ at Clover Hill Library in Chesterfield. (Photo courtesy Sprite's HERO)
Once a month, Terri Karluk and her Cocker Spaniel, Taffy, get cozy on the floor of Gayton Library’s meeting room and settle in for story time. Karluk is a volunteer with Sprite’s Humane Education & Research Organization (HERO), a local nonprofit that connects kids with therapy dogs in elementary schools and public libraries across Richmond through Paws to READ (Reading Education Assistance Dog).
Beginning readers visit with Karluk and Taffy for 15- to 20-minute sessions, sharing their favorite books. Chris Miller, founder and executive director of Sprite’s HERO, says Paws to READ helps build confidence and self-esteem among young readers. Nonjudgmental canine listeners (some are so chill they fall asleep) and their literacy mentors create a supportive environment in which kids can thrive.
The program is a mutually beneficial one, Miller says. “The dog lowers their stress and blood pressure, while the child builds confidence through reading books,” she says.
Kaluk and Taffy have been volunteers for about two years, and they got involved with the program as a way to socialize Taffy, a rescue dog who did not have any human contact for the first four months of her life. She was trained as a therapy dog to become more comfortable around people.
All Paws to READ canines are required to be certified working therapy dogs before becoming volunteers. “That’s critical because it ensures their dog has the right temperament to do the job,” Miller says. “Any breed can do it.” Sprite’s HERO then provides training in READ, a national program of Intermountain Therapy Animals in Utah. Much of the training centers on strategies the human reading mentor can use to support beginning readers. Many volunteers are former teachers or reading specialists, Miller says.
Currently, the program has 30 volunteer teams that serve 26 elementary schools and public libraries, providing about 70 visits per month with about 1,100 interactions last year. There is currently a waiting list for schools and libraries that want to offer the program, but Miller says the organization is not currently recruiting volunteers because its staff and budget are too small to meet demand.
Library visits occur monthly, while dogs visit elementary schools on a weekly basis, meeting with the same children each time. “Sometimes kids can improve two grade levels in a year,” Miller says. While they're open to the public, library visits require reservations through the individual branches. Visit the event calendar at spriteshero.org for details.
