You Don’t Have to Foster or Adopt a Dog to Make a Difference—Just Bring a Book
Every Wednesday afternoon, something special happens at Animal Friends of the Valleys in Wildomar, California. From 3 to 4:30 p.m., children gather to read aloud—not to teachers or classmates, but to the shelter’s dogs.
The program, run by Huey’s Heroes , offers a calming break for dogs who may be anxious or shy after landing in the shelter. As kids flip through picture books and chapter stories, the dogs listen quietly, gaining comfort from the gentle company. For the young readers, it’s a confidence-boosting experience that combines a love of animals with a chance to improve their reading skills—much like Rocky Kanaka’s popular practice of sitting quietly with rescue dogs to help them feel safe.
According to Huey’s Heroes, the reading program offers something for every young participant—whether they’re just starting to sound out words or already confident readers. “Participants can use the program to learn the fundamental basics of reading, increase their ability to read to a non-judgmental listener, and share their love of reading with an animal that longs for and benefits from companionship,” the group’s mission statement explains. And the benefits go both ways.
For shelter dogs, having someone calmly read to them can be a game changer. It encourages shy pups to approach the front of their kennels, making them more visible—and more adoptable—to potential families. It also helps them get used to the sound of human voices in a low-pressure setting, with no commands or expectations. For families looking to give back, programs like this are a heartwarming entry point into the rescue world—one story at a time.
Find a Read To a Shelter Dog Program Near You!
You don’t have to live in Wildomar, California to read to a shelter dog—similar programs exist nationwide! You don’t have to be ready to foster or adopt to help a shelter dog; simply spending time with one or volunteering at your local animal shelter can make a world of difference. Here are just some of the many shelter dog reading programs around the country. To find one in your area, check out this list, do a quick Google search, or speak with your local animal shelter.
| ‘Read To a Shelter Dog’ Programs by State | |
| Alabama | Paws for Reading (Greater Huntsville Humane Society) |
| Alaska | Anchorage Animal Care & Control |
| Arizona | Read Fur Fun (Arizona Humane Society — Rob & Melani Walton Papago Park Campus) Ruff Draft Book Club (Arizona Animal Welfare League) Paws and Pages (Pima Animal Care Center) |
| Arkansas | Tales for Tails (Northeast Arkansas Humane Society) |
| California | Huey’s Heroes Reading Program (See above) Rescue Readers (Ventura County Animal Services) LA Animal Services Reading Rovers (Pasadena Humane Society) |
| Colorado | Tales for Tails (Humane Colorado) |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Humane Society (Newington and Waterford Pet Wellness and Adoption Center) |
| Florida | Pawsitive Reading (Jacksonville Humane Society) Book Buddies (Orange County Animal Services) |
| Georgia | Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue (Kennesaw, GA) Fur Kids (Atlanta, GA) Pickens County Animal Shelter |
| Hawaii | Book Tails (Kaua’i Humane Society) |
| Illinois | Anti-Cruelty Society (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Indiana | Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control |
| Iowa | Litter-ary Club (Animal Rescue League of Iowa; read to cats) Read to the Paw (Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center) |
| Kansas | Read To Rover (Kansas Humane Society) |
| Maryland | Wagging Tales (Maryland SPCA) |
| Massachusetts | Rescue Readers (Nevins Farm MSPCA) Animal Rescue League of Boston (Boston, Massachusetts) |
| Michigan | Read To Rover (Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit) Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter (Gwinn, Michigan) Read with Fido (Harbor Humane Society—West Olive, Michigan) |
| Minnesota | Rescue Readers (Animal Humane Society MN) Book Buddies (Tri-County Humane Society) |
| Missouri | Shelter Buddies Reading Program (Humane Society of Missouri) Reading With Rescues (APA Adoption Center St. Louis) |
| Montana | Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter (Bozeman, Montana) |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Humane Society (Omaha, Nebraska) Capital Humane Society (Lincoln, Nebraska) Paws To Read (Animal Shelter of Northeast Nebraska) |
| Nevada | Reading with Rescues (SPCA Northern Nevada) Book Buddies (The Animal Foundation—Las Vegas, Nevada) |
| New Hampshire | Reading To Rescues (Humane Society for Greater Nashua) New Hampshire SPCA Paws To Read (Pope Memorial SPCA Concord-Merrimack County) Reading Fur Fun (Pope Memorial Humane Society Cocheco Valley) |
| New Jersey | Tales with Tails (Animal Welfare Association—Voorhees, New Jersey) Read To Dog (Monmouth County SPCA) Paws To Read (Friends of Montclair Township Animal Shelter) Paws For Reading (SAVE Animal Shelter—Skillman, New Jersey) |
| New Mexico | Animal Humane New Mexico |
| New York | Rescue Readers (Humane Society of Walden) Paws & Pages (Anita’s Stevens Swan Humane Society) |
| North Carolina | Reading Buddies (Humane Society of Charlotte) Shelter Buddies Reading Program (Pitt County Animal Services) |
| North Dakota | Rescue Readers (Souris Valley Animal Shelter) |
| Ohio | Book Buddies (Humane Society of Greater Dayton) |
| Oklahoma | Claire’s Reading Program (Second Chance Pet Rescue—Grove, Oklahoma) |
| Oregon | Happy Tales Reading Program (SafeHaven Humane Society—Tangent, Oregon) |
| Pennsylvania | Rescue Readers (Humane Pennsylvania; Berks Campus and Lancaster Campus) Story Tails (Women’s Animal Shelter—Bensalem, Pennsylvania) Animal Tales (Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh) Book Buddies (Humane Society of Harrisburg Area) |
| South Carolina | Book Buddies (Charleston Animal Society) |
| Tennessee | Book Buddies (Williamson County Animal Center) Paws for Reading (Young-Williams Animal Center—Knoxville, Tennessee) Humane Society Tennessee Valley |
| Virginia | Reading Tails (Fairfax County Animal Shelter) Paws & Read (Animal Welfare League of Arlington) Tales for Tails (Norfolk Animal Care & Adoption Center) |
| Wisconsin | Wags & Tales (Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin) Paws & Pages (Dane County Humane Society) |
