Joanna McElhattan reads to her dog, Gus, and Hailey Gibson in her lap in the Franklin Library on Saturday.
Story and photographs by Sydney Herdle
A group of therapy dogs are helping make the “ruff” times better for area kids through a new reading program at the Franklin Public Library.
The Paws 4 A Cause program kicked off Saturday morning as part of the Franklin on Ice festival. A trio of dogs and their owners visited the library’s children’s section to visit with young readers, including Karen Dahle with Tally, Amanda Reisinger with Abbey and Joanna McElhattan with Gus.
McElhattan said the Paws 4 A Cause folks are happy to be back holding therapy dog sessions. Although the dogs and their handlers normally stop by schools, universities, nursing homes and other community events they have been hampered because of the COVID pandemic.
Recently they were able to help at local UPMC children’s COVID-19 vaccine clinics and now resumed the library children's reading program.
More sessions of the program are planned at the library: Wednesday afternoons on February 9, 23 and March 9 from 5 to 6 p.m. and Saturday mornings on February 19 and March 5 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Franklin Public Library children’s coordinator Tracy Hilton said any kids who come to all six programs will receive a certificate and a prize.
To learn more about the program, visit pawsvenango.com or oilregionlibraries.org.
The reading program is among the items included on the Eight & 322 Events Calendar, where readers can check out a variety of events happening throughout the region.
A group of therapy dogs are helping make the “ruff” times better for area kids through a new reading program at the Franklin Public Library.
The Paws 4 A Cause program kicked off Saturday morning as part of the Franklin on Ice festival. A trio of dogs and their owners visited the library’s children’s section to visit with young readers, including Karen Dahle with Tally, Amanda Reisinger with Abbey and Joanna McElhattan with Gus.
McElhattan said the Paws 4 A Cause folks are happy to be back holding therapy dog sessions. Although the dogs and their handlers normally stop by schools, universities, nursing homes and other community events they have been hampered because of the COVID pandemic.
Recently they were able to help at local UPMC children’s COVID-19 vaccine clinics and now resumed the library children's reading program.
More sessions of the program are planned at the library: Wednesday afternoons on February 9, 23 and March 9 from 5 to 6 p.m. and Saturday mornings on February 19 and March 5 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Franklin Public Library children’s coordinator Tracy Hilton said any kids who come to all six programs will receive a certificate and a prize.
To learn more about the program, visit pawsvenango.com or oilregionlibraries.org.
The reading program is among the items included on the Eight & 322 Events Calendar, where readers can check out a variety of events happening throughout the region.
John Ryan Gibson reads a Boxcar Children book to therapy dog Abbey and her owner, Amanda Reisinger, in the Franklin Library on Monday.
Six-year-old Makenzie Young of Clarion pets Tally, a five-year-old Samoyed, in the Franklin Library on Saturday. Young laughed after realizing her fluffy white coat matched Tally's fur.
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