Read to Animals Program Grows Into Area-Wide Kids Club

Baltimore Humane Society Kicks Off Bmore Humane Kids Club to Improve Literacy & Break the Cycle of Violence

February 2, 2016 Reisterstown, MD – Soon Baltimore will have Reading Rabbits, Cool Cats, Giddy Guinea Pigs, and Top Dogs – all children sharpening their reading skills while comforting homeless pets.   The two year old Read to the Animals program at Baltimore Humane Society has been so popular that it is now growing into a kids club centered around reading and humane education.   

Come to Baltimore Humane Society any afternoon and you may think you’ve walked into a classroom instead of a dog kennel.  Rather than the sound of dogs barking, you’ll hear children sounding out letters.  The no-kill shelter is now taking its successful reading program one step further and created a Bmore Humane Kids Club.

The Club will meet one Saturday a month when kids will engage in special activities, games, and of course, read.  Each meeting will have a different humane education theme.  Some of the themes will include Dog Safety & Clicker Training, Amazing Cats & Making Enrichment Toys, and Amazing Rabbits & Other Small Animals.   The idea is to teach children the importance of humane treatment to animals and improve their literacy skills.  The added benefit is the much needed companionship and calming effect for the shelter animals.

Studies have shown that children who read to animals dramatically increase their reading and comprehension skills.  One study by University of California found that over the course of a ten week program, children improved their reading skills by thirty percent.  The judgment-free attitudes of the companion pets help motivate the kids to want to practice reading, give them more confidence, and in turn become more competent readers.

We also know that there is a link between animal cruelty and violence toward people.  The Bmore Humane Kids Club is one step to ending that cycle of cruelty and helping children develop empathy and compassion for both people and animals.

Baltimore Humane Society’s Education Outreach program additionally brings pets and presentations to schools.  Students also participate in service projects from Kindergarten through college.

To register for the Bmore Humane Kids Club or learn more, email education@bmorehumane.org.