It’s true that animals are the best listeners.
That is especially true for children who are struggling to read.
A new program at the Prince George Humane Society called Kids for Cats Who Can’t Read Good is pairing up children with special needs, who are struggling to read, with animals who are willing to listen.
The program was inspired by nine-year-old Elliott Zorzi who has autism.
His mom, Birgit, decided to take him to the Humane Society so he could practice reading to the animals.
“He chose a book and we came down and he read for 20 minutes the first time, and then he read for 45 minutes the next time, and the third time I had to say, ‘OK, it’s time to come out now’,” says Birgit, adding that Elliott read for over an hour.
“Reading was a painful chore and it’s become a joyous adventure.”
Melissa Garner, the Humane Society’s executive director, noticed the improvement in Elliott’s reading and, together with his mom, decided it would be a great program for the humane society to run.
“I think it’s important to kids because they are in a space where they are not being judged if they aren’t pronouncing a word correctly or if they stumble,” says Garner. “And it’s important to the animals because they like being spoken to.”
The Humane Society now opens their doors an hour early on Thursdays so the participating kids can have some quiet time to read to the animals.
They held their first session on July 25 and had eight kids participate.
“The kids absolutely loved it,” says Garner. “A lot of them came out of their shell and you could see the confidence-difference from when they walked in the door to when they walked out.”
During the second session of the program, Elliott spent time reading a book called Weird but True Facts to some rambunctious kittens.
Elliott says he likes to read science books to the cats.
“I’m pretty sure that when they are relaxed that is a sign that they like it,” says Elliott, adding that he thinks it’s fun when the kittens try to climb on his back and jump all over him.
Kids for Cats Who Can’t Read Good is looking for donations of books of all reading levels and sponsors as it takes extra resources and staff for the Humane Society to operate the program.
Garner says she hopes to keep the program going as it’s another way for the Prince George Humane Society to give back to the community.
“We want to incorporate any child that is struggling to read and we want to encourage reading and loving animals at the same time.”
And if you’re wondering, yes, the name Kids for Cat’s Who Can’t Read Good was inspired by the iconic scene from the film Zoolander.
