A fun program in the D.C. area gives kids the opportunity to read to therapy dogs.
The D.C. nonprofit People Animals Love (PAL), switched from in-person to virtual meetings, and sessions are booking up fast. To meet demand, PAL is adding 120 reading slots next week.
Sessions are free and done over Zoom. In Bethesda, 8-year-old Zac Wancjer and his mom Dana told News4 the sessions give them something to look forward to.
“Zac is a huge dog-lover,” his mom began to say.
“And a huge reading lover!” Zac interjected.
“So the combination of the two has made it the perfect activity,” Dana Wancjer continued.
Before the pandemic, PAL visited 30 D.C.-area libraries. The nonprofit coordinates about 500 individually owned dogs, and a few cats, to provide comfort to people in places including hospitals, schools and prisons.
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Now children are practicing reading virtually. Sessions start with introductions involving the entire group. Then each child goes into a virtual breakout room and reads to a therapy dog and their handler. After about 12 minutes, they switch and read to another dog.
“Dogs are not critical when kids make mistakes. So, I think it helps give them confidence, and it’s also a lot of fun,” Dana Wancjer said.
PAL Volunteer Kerri Schepers says the sessions have been rewarding and give parents a much-needed break.
“They don’t have to be responsible for 30 minutes of a 16-hour day, in this time of COVID. So, I think for them, it gives them a little bit of relief and their child learns something at the same time,” she said.
For more information, visit PeopleAnimalsLove.org.
