Jacksonville Humane Society Pawsitive Reading Program

His longing eyes stared back at me while he tried in vain to wriggle off his collar. I proceeded to sit down and summon my books. There was indeed something that was of interest to my new companion – reading. While I flipped the pages of my favorite novel open, Cosito pressed his multi-colored snout against the glass in curiosity.

At the Jacksonville Humane Society, the formation of friendships is an everyday occurrence, where children form bonds with dogs by reading pieces of literature to them. “There’s a lot to say about just sitting in front of an animal and making eye contact with them,” Ashley Mullin, who has been a manager at the Jacksonville Humane Society for the past four years, said. Reading to dogs encourages the ‘human-animal bond.’ It is a form of interaction with the dogs one-on-one, something with which the society is facing difficulties because of the limited amount of staff members and volunteer members.

The program not only benefits the dogs, but the children as well. It helps children with their self-esteem and confidence.