The Missouri Humane Society has a new program where elementary school children spend time with its shelter dogs, reading to them from outside their kennels. It's beneficial for both the kids and the dogs, reported ABC, as the kids get to practice their reading skills and learn to recognize different emotional states in dogs, and the dogs have human interaction that makes them more open and friendly, but doesn't intimidate or scare them.
The program is creating both animal-friendly kids and kid-friendly animals. "It's encouraging children to develop empathy with animals. It's a peaceful, quiet exercise. They're seeing fearfulness in these animals, and seeing the positive effect they can have. It encourages them to look at things from an animal's perspective. That helps them better connect with animals and people in their lives," added Klepacki.
Watch the video below that shows a glimpse of the program in action, uploaded by HSMOlovesanimals.
