Children read to an unusual audience at Shrewsbury Public Library
By Melissa Muntz Community Reporter

PHOTO/MELISSA MUNTZ Kayleigh Johnson reads to Kuma at the Shrewsbury Public Library, while his owner and Pet Partner team member Kim Hood looks on.

Shrewsbury - While it's not unusual to see several children reading in a library on a Saturday morning, the children reading at Shrewsbury Public Library Nov. 17 upped the unusual factor by reading not to themselves but to Kuma, a 150-pound Newfoundland who was there as part of Paws for People's Reading Education Assistance Dog (READ) Program.

Kuma, along with his owner Kim Hood, are a Delta Society Pet Partners team that got involved in the READ program to help children improve their reading skills in a fun and unex- pected way.

"Dogs are ideal reading companions because they listen attentively, do not judge, laugh, or criticize, allow children to read at their own pace and are less intimidating than peers," Hood said. "But perhaps most importantly, reading to a dog is fun."

Several children took turns reading out loud to Kuma, who Hood describes as "a gentle giant." The READ program is just one of many ways Kuma and Hood volunteer in the community.

"In addition to his visits to the Shrewsbury Library, Kuma visits with Alzheimer and dementia residents at a local nursing home in Uxbridge every week, where he regularly demonstrates his ability to seek out patients most in need of comforting," she said.

Despite his size, Hood said Kuma's sweet disposition and good manners make him a calming influence on the people he interacts with.

"By the end of our visit [to the nursing home], Kuma has usually made himself completely at home in the activities room," she said, "and can be found stretched out at the foot of someone's wheelchair, fast asleep."

Because Paws for People is strictly volunteer, visits come at no cost for the participant. Hood said there is a lot of research that shows the benefits of animal-human interaction, but that there aren't enough Pet Partner teams to meet the growing demand.

She encourages anyone who might be interested in teaming up their pet to contact the Delta Society for more information. Hood said the process to become a team was in-depth, but that it was worth it to ensure the quality of the program and the safety of its participants.

"A person and his or her animal can register as Pet Partners following successful completion of a volunteer training course, an animal health screening, and temperament and situation testing to determine if both the animal and handler are suitable for therapy work," she said. "This process assures institutions that the volunteers who enter their facilities are well prepared and that the animals have been carefully screened."

Pet Partners aren't limited to just dog owners. Pets for Paws currently has teams that include cats, birds and even a miniature horse. Anyone interested in getting involved with the program can contact www.deltasociety. org for more information.