Humane Society of Southern Arizona

It has been observed by the APSCA that being read to helps fearful or shy dogs become more comfortable with people because there is no forced interaction. Here at HSSA, we read to shy dogs and cats as well as sick dogs who are long term residents with limited human interaction. As exemplified by shelter literacy programs across the country, this reading program will encourage our shelter pets to approach the front of their kennels for potential adopters and thus improve their chances of a short stay with us at HSSA.

Requirements:
Children ages 5 to 14 who are interested in improving their reading skills, either to meet or exceed age appropriate reading levels, are welcome to join us.
- Children are expected to wear long pants and close toed shoes as well as adhere to hygiene guidelines while visiting the animals.
- Each participant must attend a short orientation prior with an adult chaperone prior to their first reading session to learn about participant requirements, safety around animals, and empathy for our furry friends.
- Each child must have a liability waiver on file before entering the kennel areas.
- Each child must have an adult on property during their scheduled reading time, but adults are encouraged to wait in our waiting area or visit our adoptable animals while their child is reading.

Incentive Program:
Participants will receive an HSSA bookmark upon completing training. Incentives will be earned upon completing 2 hours, 5 hours, and 10 hours of reading to our shelter pets.

*COVID-19 Procedures*
While the HSSA’s Paws & Pages program has existing strict cleaning and safety policies in place due to the nature of animal sheltering and the potential zoonotic disease exposure (diseases easily transmitted from domesticated or wild animals to humans), during the age of COVID-19 we require masks, social distancing, and extensive sanitizing protocols to keep our readers and staff safe and healthy throughout the camp season.