Originally posted to the web in News, on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 6:33 PM CDT.
Dogs help children with reading
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| Yvette shows a favorite picture to a reading therapy dog at the Aguila library. |
A Bow-Wow Pow-Wow at the Aguila Branch Library on Friday, Sept. 1 brought together five excited Head Start children and three eager dogs for a get acquainted reading session. The dogs cannot read, and neither can the children yet, but stories are told and pictures admired among the licks and pats.
Branch Manager of the Aguila Branch Library Ava Gutwein, Louella Johnson of Johnson's Hardware, Kerry Baffa of the Wickenburg Sun, and Heather Vaughn of Bank of America provided the support to make this program a success.
Using Therapy Dogs, certified and insured by Therapy Dogs International, in reading programs throughout the United States has been recognized as an unqualified success. Besides being a warm and friendly presence, dogs are non-judgmental and encourage beginning readers to express themselves and build confidence.
“Our trained and insured team of dogs is eager to work with children throughout the Wickenburg area,” stated Wickenburg Therapy Dog Coordinator Hartley Bennett. “Whether with individuals or groups, in schools or in libraries, our dogs are available. Just get in touch with me to schedule a visit at 684-7308.”
The Wickenburg Therapy Dog Team is composed of German shepherd Gunner owned by Joy Navin, Corgi Theodore Roosevelt owned by Arija Powell, and Corgi Pym owned by Hartley Bennett.
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