On a big oval rug in the children’s section of the Capitola library sits a scruffy little dog with sandy brown hair and friendly eyes. A boy in a little league uniform is sitting next the dog, reading aloud. Not far away, a giant black Newfoundland named Bitsy is lying on her side listening to a story about some children and their dog. A fluffy Persian cat in a pink bed is taking in the ABCs with a girl in pink sparkly shoes.
It’s not your typical library scene, to be sure—but neither is Tales to Tails, a literacy program where children spend 20 minutes reading to a therapy animal. Tales to Tails is among the most popular of our local library programs for reasons that are becoming obvious: It combines both animal and human cuteness, literacy and community engagement. The program’s objective is to provide a comfortable, no-pressure environment for children to practice reading.
From what I can see, everything is going according to plan. The little leaguer is sounding out his story, while the brown dog casually surveys the room. Miss Pink Shoes is up and down a few times, taking breaks to run her hand over the soft head of her feline companion, but she always returns to her book. Bitsy is happy on the receiving end of her reader’s—I’ve learned the girl’s name is Klarisse— impressive ability to turn pages with one hand and rub Bitsy’s belly with the other. Klarisse’s small hand is all but lost in the black sea of Bitsy’s fur.
The kids, who occasionally ask their animal’s handler for help with a word, seem to embrace the concept that the animals are there to help them further their reading skills. They interact occasionally with them, but don’t need prompting to stay focused on the reading. I can’t help but think that they’re concerned about giving the animals a good storytime experience. “I know she likes me,” says the little leaguer softly, to no one in particular.
Klarisse’s dad, Ted, confirms my suspicions. He says that when Klarisse is choosing books to read, she oftentimes asks, “Do you think the dog is going to like this book?”
As adorable as it is, there’s some science behind the sweetness. A 2010 study by researchers at UC Davis found that young readers who read aloud to therapy dogs improved their reading skill 12 percent over a 10-week period.
And it’s not just for kids. Therapy dogs have proven to have such a calming presence that they’ve even been enlisted to hang out at university libraries during finals week. Yale Law School and M.I.T. are among the schools with therapy dog programs.
In 2010, the Santa Cruz Public Library system created Tales to Tails, spearheaded by Melanee Barash, who’s in charge of the Capitola branch. It’s now in eight branches around Santa Cruz County, and similar programs with names such as Book Buddies and Reading Buddies exist in libraries around the country.
Program coordinator Laura Whitley says that Tales to Tails has grown mainly through word-of-mouth. The feedback she receives from parents of program regulars is that their reading level has gone up—and their confidence, too. She’s also seen kids who are afraid of dogs move beyond their fear through the program. “Being around the therapy dogs,” she says, “they’re getting over that fear, they’re coming out of their shell.”
The therapy animals are from one of two organizations, Furry Friends Incorporated or Therapy Dogs International. The furry therapists all have their Good Citizen Certification and have gone through additional training to work with children.
Funded primarily through the library, the program also receives support from the Capitola Dog Owners Group, which provides funding for program rewards. Every time a child participates in Tales to Tails, they get a bookmark. Every fifth bookmark they get a book, and after 25 sessions they get a dog tag that reads, “Paw-some Reader.”
As we approach the end of the session, there is indeed an air of calm. I’ve lost track of the number of books that have been read, but the kids are still going strong. The dogs have moved around a little, but they haven’t strayed from their listening posts. Somewhere around the letter R, the cat falls asleep.
