Read with me

Read with Me™ is a special initiative of the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program. 
Reading matters to students. It matters to their future academic success and, in turn, their career options as adults.
Reading also matters to educators, to schools, and to the health of communities.

The Pet Partners Read with Me™ program improves children’s reading and communication skills by providing a special opportunity for beginning readers to read to an engaging, non-judgmental learning partner who happens to be a dog. But not just any dog. These dogs are registered therapy animals who volunteer with their handlers as a team, going to schools and libraries.
In the field of therapy animal work, Pet Partners is uniquely committed to education and preparedness. Our therapy animal teams are passionate about supporting literacy, and a therapy animal team provides a creative opportunity for all students to get excited about building their skills while having fun.

Here's how it works!

Our volunteer therapy animal teams complete their required coursework, health screening, and behavioral assessment before becoming registered therapy animals. The team has been trained and tested for health, safety, appropriate skills and temperament. When these special animals come to hear children read, it makes reading a joy! 

Dogs can not read but they can be great listeners.  Their presence creates a relaxed, comfortable, ​non-judgmental, and FUN environment.