For young school-age children in the Monadnock Region, outdoor play time in late fall gets drastically shortened due to daylight savings time and the beautifully brisk, yet often inclement New England weather. Which means it’s always good to have an indoor activity planned that appeals to their active imaginations, inquisitive natures and budding sensory perceptions.
Luckily, reading to a sweet-tempered black Newfoundland named Seamus (and his furry friends) is on the agenda for Saturday at the Monadnock Humane Society. So if your kids are fans of Clifford the Big Red Dog series get them to MHS in Swanzey tomorrow {Nov.14th} between 12:30 – 1:30.
Kids are encouraged to bring their favorite Clifford book – or any other books they’re currently reading – and pet, interact and read to Seamus.
Part of the Paws to Read@MHS literacy program, Seamus is a trained therapy dog that can help make reading a joyful, an important, and a fantastic social experience for children of all ages. The six-year-old Newfoundland has been a registered therapy dog for about a year.
“He is a very mellow dog when working, and, in my opinion, excels at doing therapy work,” said Seamus’ human-counterpart Deb Bell. “Seamus is very calm when working and does not intimidate, unless his sheer size causes a child to pause – we have had that happen. He loves to be petted and hugged, and will often give kisses in return.”
Paws to Read@MHS is a free, educational and fun program that pairs safe, friendly, therapy dogs with children to improve reading skills for school-aged children.
Don’t miss this chance to visit with Seamus tomorrow! He, and the rest of his Paws to Read@MHS therapy dog friends, will take off the month of December. But no worries, they will be back on every 2nd Saturday starting January 9, 2016 ready to be pet, loved and read to…
For more information about the Monadnock Therapy Pet Program and the Paws to Read@MHS literacy program, contact Amee Abel, MHS Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
photo of Seamus courtesy of Deb Bell
