Mission: The program helps children with reading challenges by providing them opportunities to read aloud in a non-threatening environment. Trained therapy dogs make attentive, uncritical listeners and help children lose their inhibitions and gain confidence about their reading. Currently the program has 23 pet partner teams and visits the Columbus area libraries and JD Davis Elementary School, a Title III school placing an emphasis on proficiency of the English language in speaking and reading.
Goals: Additional funding would allow PAWS Columbus to allocate additional staff time to expand the program to more schools; recruit and train more volunteers and therapy dogs; partner with the School District to develop standards to measure the efficacy of the program; and incorporate PAWS Columbus’ humane education program into the curriculum by purchasing and providing free books about animals to every child through the ASPCA’s AnimaLessons program bibliography.
Mission: The program helps children with reading challenges by providing them opportunities to read aloud in a non-threatening environment. Trained therapy dogs make attentive, uncritical listeners and help children lose their inhibitions and gain confidence about their reading. Currently the program has 23 pet partner teams and visits the 
