Two beautiful projects are coming from the United States, both with the aim of getting a stronger relationship between kids and pets. It’s about Shelter Buddies Reading and Book Buddies, two ways of creating a full-trust relationship with kids reading stories to dogs or cats.
Shelter Buddies Reading is the idea of the American organisation Human Society of Missouri directed at kids between 6 and 14 years old who want to help abandoned dogs finding a new family. How? Spending some of their time at the dogs shelter reading some stories to their less lucky four legged friend, in particular to the more fearful and scared ones.
After a first theoretical phase of the project, in which kids learn how to understand the non-verbal language of dogs, there is the practice: kids should choose a dog, sit in front of his kennel and start reading him a good story, trying to entertain and amuse him, as they would do with a friend or a brother. The programme, which is getting good feedbacks, shows how an easy reading exercise could really be a key to positively influence the attitude of the traumatised dogs, teaching them to build relationships with people and making it easier for them to be adopted.
Book Buddies comes instead from Pennsylvania, where the Animal Rescue League of Berks County has launched a volunteer initiative for all cats who are looking for a new home. Here too, kids from 6 to 13 years old read stories to the shelter’s cats.
Besides being a reading exercise which makes kids more aware of their own abilities and helps them overcome their fears and anxieties, this mode is “therapeutic” for cats too, who seem to be particularly receptive and at their ease while listening.
websolute