Humane Society volunteer Karen Long holds Butters while listening to Ellie Davinsizer at the Bellwood-Antis Public Library Paws 2 Read event in March 2025. Courtesy photo

With all ears, animals are considered some of the best listeners, as they can help improve reading skills and confidence levels in children.

According to Scholastic, reading with animals can improve fluency and comprehension skills while creating a comfortable environment and positive attitude toward reading.

Dogs are the “best audience members and the best of friends,” Cresson Public Library Director Bronwyn Katdare said.

This January, libraries across the region, such as Cresson, Altoona and Bellwood, are hosting reading events with animals, hoping to offer children a comfortable reading environment filled with attentive listeners.

Cresson Public Library

Saturday, Jan. 24, will be the Cresson library’s first animal-friendly reading event, welcoming two PawZone therapy dogs into the space.

About 10 a.m., Katdare said PawZone therapy dog handlers will read a book to parents and children, kicking off the monthly event while promoting its benefits for young readers.

Following the introduction, children with pre-registered sessions can then read one-on-one with a dog for 15 minutes.

Scheduled reading sessions can limit chaos, Katdare said, so dogs can give readers their undivided attention while creating a relaxing atmosphere.

Kids “don’t have to be afraid of making mistakes because the dog won’t know,” she said. “So it helps kids relax with a calm dog.”

Altoona Area Public Library

The Central Pennsylvania Humane Society animals love listening to children read during the Paws 2 Read event, Altoona Area Public Library Director Jennifer Knisley said.

Created by the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society, the Paws 2 Read program connects young readers with shelter animals, visiting local libraries, such as Altoona Area and Bellwood-Antis, each month.

Two shelter animals will be available for four 15-minute reading sessions at 5 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Altoona Area Public Library. Pre-registration is required.

For the library’s youngest patrons, Knisley said this event gives them reading practice and a self-esteem boost, helping them understand that they are good readers.

Plus, shelter animals get “a lot of attention” from these sessions, she said, giving dogs and cats exposure to young and older children.

When a potential family asks about the dog’s behavior around children, the humane society can say they “did very well with this age group.”

Bellwood-Antis Public Library

The Bellwood-Antis Public Library is “no stranger” to animal guests, library director Jessica Ford Cameron said, as they’ve featured dogs, goats, ferrets, snakes and chickens.

Because both librarians are cat lovers, however, she said they asked the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society for one feline friend each month.

Set for 10:30 p.m. Jan. 10, kids can take turns reading for a “non-judgemental” experience with a cat “who won’t correct their pronunciation or tell them to slow down or speed up,” Cameron said.

And shelter cats “soak up that attention” from Paws 2 Read events, she said. “It’s mutually beneficial, as kids learn how to treat animals kindly and gently.”

“I think relationships and exposure to all kinds of pets are good for children to experience,” she said. “It teaches empathy and life skills.”

If you go

What: Meet the Therapy Dogs

Where: Cresson Public Library

When: Jan. 24 at 10 a.m.

Admission: Pre-registration is required; call 814-886-2619

What: Paws 2 Read

Where: Altoona Area Public Library

When: Jan. 12 at 5 p.m.

Admission: Pre-registration is required; call 814-946-0417 ext. 123

What: Paws 2 Read

Where: Jan. 10 at

10:30 a.m.

Where: Bellwood-Antis Public Library

Admission: Free