TPOC, through its Paws To Read™ program, provides Child Certified Therapy Dogs and handlers to schools and libraries to help students who struggle with reading skills.

The dogs are experienced Therapy Dogs, visiting in hospitals, retirement residences and long-term care centres. They are proud graduates of the TPOC Therapy Dog Evaluation.

To qualify for participation in the Paws To Read™ program, the dogs must pass an additional evaluation, the Interaction With Children Evaluation, to verify that they love working with children.

The dogs and handlers that participate in the Paws To Read™ program have proven their capabilities by successfully completing the TPOC Therapy Dog Evaluation, demonstrating their commitment by visiting for at least a year and also completing the Interaction With Children Evaluation.

The dogs are well groomed before their visits to schools and libraries. They are up to date on health requirements and their handlers have passed a police records check. All dog and handler teams are covered by liability insurance.

Paws To Read™ dogs are instantly recognized by their bright red working vest.

The dogs and handlers are volunteers. There is no cost to participants, schools or libraries.

The dogs and handlers that participate in the Paws To Read™ program have proven their capabilities by successfully completing both the TPOC Therapy Dog Evaluation and the Interaction With Children Evaluation.

The children pick what they want to read to the dog. Usually they take care to pick stories that they think the dog will like.

If a child has trouble recognizing a word, the dog’s handler may offer help quickly so that the child does not continue to struggle or get frustrated by the word.

On a regular basis, the dogs come to a specially designated area at school or the library.

The children, one at a time, take their turn reading to the dog. They sit beside the dog, usually with a book in one hand and the dog in the other. The dog listens quietly, with undivided attention, to the child.

Confidence, self-esteem and improved reading skills: These positives emerge in children who practice reading to special canine reading partners.

Literary specialists acknowledge the fact that children who are below their peers in reading skills and are intimidated by reading aloud in a group often have lower self-esteem and view reading as a chore. The paralyzing fear that can accompany having to read in front of a class or in a small reading group doesn’t happen when the children read to the dogs, their pals.

Reading to the dogs is fun and it is good practice.

The children involved feel good about themselves.

This program is especially good for students who are shy and not very good readers—or for any child who wants to read to a canine pal.

A study in 2000 of a read-to-dogs library program in Salt Lake City, Utah, indicated that each student’s reading scores increased two levels in 13 months.

Participant’s Review of "Paws To Read™"

August 4 2004,

Helen and furry friends! Thank you for sharing my summer with me, and listening to me read. I hope in the future I can see you all again.

Your furry friends are cute, well behaved, and love listening.

I have began reading to my dog Daytona and have been reading by myself a lot more.

When I go back to school I will have lots of stories about the time I spent with my new furry friends.

I think it was a good idea to start paws to read and so does my Mom and Dad.

DYLAN,