Lend me your floppy ears

“A Lunch with Punch” was the book Caiden Sedlak, 8, plucked from the shelves at Gulf Gate Library to read to Yukon, a sleepy Great Pyrenees.

Asked why she decided to read the book to Yukon, she said: “Because I can pet and read at the same time.”
Before Caiden could get to the second page, Yukon was sprawled out on the floor next to her doing his job of listening the best way he knows how.

On July 27, Caiden was one of the 20 children signed up for a chance to read to one of the dogs. The Read with Dogs weekly program takes place at libraries throughout Sarasota County and is designed to give children a chance to read out loud without fear of criticism.

The lineup of dogs certified by Alliance Pet Therapy includes: Yukon; Miss Fay, a black lab; Lexie, a black toy poodle; Parker, a Shih Tzu — and each was happy to lend a floppy ear to the young readers.

Volunteer Suzanne Vircik has been involved in the program at various libraries in Sarasota County for 10 years with her dogs, Lexie and Max.

“One of the main things we see is that (the children are) very hesitant at first,” Vircik said.

She sits in a chair next to her toy poodle, Lexie, and helps hold the book so the children can have their hands available to pet while reading aloud.

“You’ll start to see the same children over time, and we get to know the families, too,” Vircik said.

The program takes a break during the month of August, meaning July 27 was the children’s final afternoon of reading to their canine audience before the school year begins.

Becky Hoffman, a teacher who moved this summer from Baltimore, brought her daughter Nicole, 5, to check out what will be their neighborhood library.

“Libraries have always been a huge part of my life,” Becky Hoffman said. “We’re not even unpacked, and we got library cards because all of our books are still boxed up.”
 

Nicole, who will enter first grade this year, decided to practice reading the book “Wait” to Parker, the Shih Tzu.

“He’s a good listener,” Nicole Hoffman said. “He’s a very relaxing dog.”