Blake Lindsey, right, practices reading on Thursday, March 11, at the Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County as his mother Annalyse Lindsey and Dozer the dog listen. Blake was participating in Literacy for Companionship Inc.’s reading to animals program, which is for ages 5-12. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

PIERCETON — Children may read and spend time with animals through a program at the Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County.

The nonprofit Literacy for Companionship Inc. offers the program at the AWL, 1048 S. CR 325E, Pierceton. It’s 3-5 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month.

Children read to the animals during a 30-minute appointment. The program is open to ages 5-12.

Children may read to the type of animal they prefer – mainly cats and dogs – but can also read to more diverse animals, like birds, rabbits and guinea pigs, if they happen to be at the shelter, said AWL Executive Director Sally Scott.

They can also request a certain animal if they want, she said. The program provides books for kids to choose from or they may bring their own.

The nonprofit first brought the program to AWL last year. COVID-19 interrupted it a few times, with the latest event on March 11.

Blake Lindsey, 7, a homeschooled student from Bourbon, got to read to both cats in the AWL’s free-roaming cat silo and Dozer the dog, whom he specifically requested.

“I really liked it. It was so much fun,” said Lindsey of the experience. He has a cat, dog and chickens at home.

Angela Ihrie, of Fort Wayne, founded Literacy for Companionship.

“I’m a firm believer that we’re all here for a purpose and a reason,” said Ihrie. “I have a love for literacy and animals and I wanted a way to give back to the community.”

The program started in 2017 in Steuben County and has spread to Whitley, Allen and Wabash counties as well as Kosciusko.

“It’s not only giving them a judgment-free place to come and read; it’s teaching them volunteering can be fun. It’s teaching them compassion and empathy towards the animals,” she said. “And in turn, it’s helping the animal shelters with adoptions and getting people in. We’ve had a couple of adoptions from readers who’ve shown up to the program so far from here, but a lot of times they’ve never been in a shelter or never seen a shelter, so they get that experience.”

Ihrie said she wants to expand into other counties, but that’s dependent on getting volunteers.

“We help roughly 600 children a year and … we’re hoping to double that this year,” she said.

Ihrie said the organization also plans to set up mini-libraries at the animal shelters for kids to pick books from.

People may learn how to volunteer or give money to the program by visiting the organization’s website lforcompanionship.org.

People may set up a reading appointment through a page on the organization’s website. Once they are there, they will click the Sign up here link. They also may sign up through the organization’s Facebook page Literacy for Companionship Inc.

At least one adult must stay with a child for the appointment. Siblings may read at the same time.

“I hope that it just creates a love of reading and it brings them into our shelter and they can learn about the good work that we do and how we help animals. That’s our motto: We help pets and people. So it’s sort of bringing the community into our story,” said Scott of the program.

For future plans, Scott said the AWL might adjust the program’s hours to meet readers’ needs. She also hopes to have special events at the AWL involving local authors “especially if (their books are) animal-related.”

Blake Lindsey, right, works on reading in the League’s free-roaming cat silo with his mother Annalyse Lindsey, center, and sibling Prescott Lindsey, left.