Shelter dogs feel lonely and abandoned, so children practice reading books to them

Shelter dogs feel lonely and abandoned, so children practice reading books to them
The Humane Society of Missouri started a program called the Shelter Buddies Reading Program. This program, designed to help frightened shelter dogs better acclimate to society, uses young children, ages 6 – 15, in order to slowly coax these dogs into again trusting humans.
But how do children, some barely even out of elementary school, possibly help these lonely, abandoned dogs?
The answer is simple: reading.
The program finds children who need practice reading aloud, or those with fear of audiences, and asks them to volunteer at their shelter.
The only thing they need to bring is a book (or several!) of their own choosing.
The children then simply sit infront of a kennel with a dog they want to read to, and begin reading from their book. They are able to practice reading and public speaking in a nonjudgmental environment, and the dogs are able to slowly adjust to the presence of humans.