COLD LAKE - The Lakeland Humane Society introduced a heartwarming initiative called the Reading Buddy Program in April of this year, designed for children aged 3 to 13.
Every Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., kids are invited to come to the shelter and read books to the resident cats.
“Our Reading Buddy Program is very straightforward. We're inviting young kids to come and read to our cats in the shelter. It's a great benefit on both ends,” said Danielle Donovan, executive director of the Lakeland Humane Society.
The program not only provides a unique experience for the children but also positively impacts the cats.
“It's a benefit to the animals and a benefit to the kids. So, what we do is we basically close down the shelter. It's not open to the public, so it's a very personal experience for the kids. They get to sit in the cat room and choose a cat to read to for an hour,” said Donovan.
Donovan has seen the success of similar programs in other shelters across Alberta. “It's a brand new program the Lakeland Humane Society has started, but me personally, I've worked at other shelters across Alberta, and we have done these programs before. I saw what benefit it was to the kids and the animals, so I wanted to bring it to the humane society here.”
To ensure a cozy and manageable environment, the program has limited spots. “We only have six spots that are available weekly, so it's not overcrowded in the cat room,” she said. “It has slowed down a little bit in June and July, but I expected it to slow down over the summer. But we're going keep it running throughout the year regardless.”
Despite the seasonal lull, Donovan noted the program's consistent participation. "There hasn't been a week yet where nobody hasn't shown up.”
The community's response has been overwhelmingly positive, with the program even influencing cat adoptions. “We’ve gotten some really good responses so far. People are really enjoying it. In one visit, even resulted in somebody adopting one of the cats.”
To ensure the safety and supervision of both the children and the cats, parental presence is required. “The parents are required to at least be there with the kids at all times. There's no staff presently in the cat room, so it's the parents' responsibility to make sure your kid is abiding by our rules in the cat room.”
Signing up for the program is easy. “Just give us a phone call, that's all you have to do, and we'll take your information.”
Donovan is thrilled with the program’s success and the joy it brings to both the children and the cats. “It's been doing really well, and we love seeing the kids come into the shelter. It’s been positive on both ends.”
