Library goes to the dogs

By Susan Gartner

(clockwise from top left) Regan Parker (mvPTa Certified Therapy Pet Handler), Alexia Stockton, Stephanie Cooper, Skyler Miller, Ana Smith, Silas Buehrig, and mvPTa Certified Therapy Pet Bronwen follow along as Ana reads “If Dogs Could Talk.”

On Tuesday, March 9, the YS Library presented “Read to the Dogs,” a program which helps young readers practice reading out loud to a certified therapy dog. The library provides the books and a quiet, comfortable corner. The dogs provide an attentive and uncritical audience.

German Shepherd "Bronwen" and her human Regan Parker and $5-rescue-dog "Lacey" and her human Gerry Coen are pet therapy teams from mvPTa ― Miami Valley Pet Therapy Association. The mission of the all-volunteer community-based organization is to promote the use of highly trained domesticated pets to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of citizens in the greater Miami Valley. The human/animal teams visit libraries, nursing homes, hospitals, and even (upon request) funerals, providing comfort and companionship to those in need. Eight-week training classes are offered twice a year to interested pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and hand-held animals) and their humans. For more information about mvPTa, visit their website at www.mvpta.com.

Photos by Susan Gartner

Click here for more photos of dogs at the library.