A youngster reads a story to Cotton, a white standard poodle, and his handler, Elaine Ruppel. WEST LONG BRANCH — They are patient and very good listeners. A room full of excited kids armed with books doesn’t faze them. They overlook mispronounced words or bungled sentences, encouraging kids to read on.
And all they really ask for is a pat on the head, or maybe a good belly rub.
Therapy dogs have become a regular feature at many branches and members of the Monmouth County Library system, according to a press release. The Read to a Therapy Dog programs are designed to help schoolage children become better readers.
“The dogs help young readers gain confidence in their reading skills,” Pat Findra, children’s coordinator for the library system, said in the press release. “They are nonjudgmental, uncritical — and always interested in whatever the kids want to read to them.”
A therapy dog is trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools and in stressful situations such as disaster areas. As part of literacy programs, therapy dogs are ideal reading companions because they are non-judgmental, do not laugh at or criticize mistakes and are not intimidating, Findra said. At the West Long Branch Library, Children’s Librarian Sharon Hazard is taking the program a step further, by having children write their own stories that they can then read to the visiting therapy dogs.
“I would have to say that it is amazing to see how patient the dogs are with the children,” Hazard said. “On the days when we have an exceptionally large group, things can get a bit chaotic in terms of movement and noise, the dogs just lie down and wait for someone to start reading.”
“They are wonderful, and the owners/trainers who bring them are every bit as patient with the children,” Hazard said.
Renee Shriver, of Tinton Falls, brings her therapy dog Oscar, a year-old sheltie, to the library for the reading program.
“The kids are very comfortable reading to the dogs, and the dogs just love being there. They love the kids,” said Shriver.
She was joined by fellow therapy dog handlers Elaine Ruppel with Cotton, a white standard poodle; Diane Talbot with Paris, another sheltie; and Tina Fliegler with Ziggy, a miniature dachshund. The library holds two Read to a Therapy Dog sessions on the last Wednesday of each month, beginning at 3:45 p.m.
Other library branches that hold therapy dog sessions are Ocean Township, Oceanport, Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury, Wall, Howell and Marlboro.
Check the Monmouth County Library system’s children’s program schedules at www.monmouthcountylib.org for dates and times.