Just because you don’t have the time, space or funds to adopt a dog doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference in a shelter dog’s life.
Reddit user puglife123 finds ways to do just that by volunteering at the local Western Pennsylvania Human Society. It was during one of these shifts that an older woman caught her eye. The woman was reading a copy of The “Biscuit And The Little Pup” to one of the old shelter dogs, a pit bull named Jade.
This wasn’t the first or last time the woman stopped by to read to the dogs, in fact she has made quite a habit of it. Puglife123 writes, “This woman comes to my local humane society and sits in front of the dog’s cage and reads books to the dogs.”
Sure, canines clearly don’t have the same level of appreciation for literature as humans—expect maybe when it comes to eating the pages, but the act itself is incredibly healing for the dogs.
Simply hearing a calm voice has been proven soothing to shelter animals. Plus, as she reads she is directing her attention at them, something all dogs crave endlessly.
Turns out, the woman decided to start reading to old shelter dogs after losing her beloved 14-year-old dog. She feels this helps her give back some of the love her dog shared with her throughout the years.
Photo Credit: Amy Crawford
Photo Credit: puglife123
Reading to shelter animals helps everyone involved. In fact, the Animal Rescue League in Pennsylvania offers a Book Buddies program for kids. The program promotes children’s literacy by having them read to shelter animals. At the same time this makes a deserving pet’s day so much better—a win-win for all!
Photo Credit: The Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Berks County
