It’s always a good time to ‘Paws’ For Reading

(Continued from Page 1) pages, which she thought was adorable.

“I used to run this program, but my colleague, Cathy Queenan, has been running it for the past few months,” said Antolino. “She does a wonderful job. It’s nice to be a part of this program.

“We have a programming room that usually is pretty empty. We try to give them as much room as possible. So it’s the children, the trainer and the dogs.”

“Paws” For Reading becomes a family experience, she said, for children of all ages and their parents.

“Sometimes, the parents sit in the room on the side, but sometimes they browse the collection of books while the children read,” Antolino said. “It depends on the child’s confidence level. They are usually pretty good. Some are pretty comfortable and they have their younger siblings sit in.

“The children are usually kindergarten through second grade, although we have occasionally seen up to fifth grade. They like to spend time with the dogs. We’ve had toddlers come in and hang out with their older siblings, who are reading.

“My colleague, Leala, is running the program tonight.”

For many, the interaction between the children and dogs is a memory worth saving on film.

“Sometimes, the parents take pictures,” Antolino said. “It’s a nice photo op. Sometimes, the dogs fall asleep, and we tell the children that they enjoyed their reading.”

At left, Spencer, a lovable Havanese who takes part in the ‘Paws’ For Reading program. gets a big hug from his owner. Above, both the children and the dogs seem to enjoy the program a lot, judging by the smiles and wagging tails. At right, little Charlie strikes a pose worthy of a Hollywood star.