R.E.A.D. program (Reading Education Assistance Dogs)
The R.E.A.D. program (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) utilizes registered therapy animals, who have been trained and tested for health, safety, skills and temperament. These animals volunteer with their handlers as therapy animal teams. Each team offers children an opportunity to improve their reading in a setting – made up of the child, the dog, and the handler – which has proven not only effective but fun.Research with therapy animals indicates that children with low self-esteem are often more willing to interact with an animal than another person. They focus better on an activity or discussion when an animal is present and refer back to the interaction with positive associations. There are also physiological benefits to interacting with animals, including increased relaxation and lower blood pressure.
In the R.E.A.D. program, we have seen that children, especially those for whom reading does not come easily, find reading to an animal less intimidating than many other situations. Reading to a dog transforms a formerly difficult task into a memorable and fun experience. Children read one-on-one to an animal in order to promote and encourage the child's reading. The animal acts as a non-critical listener and the handler asks questions through the animal. For example, the handler might say, "Zorr [the dog] doesn't understand what happened on the last page – could you explain it to him?" In this way, kids see themselves as tutors and helpers for the dog.
PAAWS has taken the R.E.A.D. program to After School Programs and Summer Camp programs through Eugene Recreation Services and also to the Eugene Public Library. Over two thousand R.E.A.D. sessions have taken place through all of these local programs.
Animal Assisted Crisis Response
Some PAAWS teams go on to advanced training with National Animal Assisted Crisis Response. AACR training prepares Pet Partner Teams to work with mental health professionals and emergency response agencies. The mission: provide emotional rescue, recovery, and ongoing support to individuals who have been affected by crisis and/or disaster.
PAAWS Teams have responded with NAACR to Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech following campus shootings.
This was our first deployment (Northern Illinois University). It was very emotional, and extremely satisfying. I feel honored to have been a part of it. I'm so proud of my partner, Dylan, for bringing a smile to the faces of so many people who were hurting. It was an amazing thing to witness. - Judy Hase and Dylan
"Doing animal assisted crisis response work makes me feel blessed to be able to provide relief for people when they need it the most and especially proud of my dog, Gertie, for her ability to make a profound connection when words are simply not there."Debby Ganser and Gertie