At about a dozen public libraries across Orange County, kids and parents gather on the floor every month in the children’s section, picture books open in their laps, as they read aloud to therapy dogs.

The readings are organized through OC Animal Allies’ Canine Literacy program — which began as a small afterschool program in the 1980s. 

The Orange County-based nonprofit offers a slew of programs aimed at helping pets and their owners, including work to address overpopulation, provide emergency vet assistance and ensure pets aren’t going hungry.

As part of the Canine Literacy program, the dogs also visit local schools and community events. It’s meant to help children — ranging from toddlers to teenagers — improve reading fluency, boost confidence and reduce anxieties while reading out loud. 

Editors’ Note: This dispatch is part of the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service, working with student journalists to cover public policy issues across Orange County. If you would like to submit your own student media project related to Orange County civics or if you have any response to this work, contact admin@voiceofoc.org.

Reading to a Pal

Barbara Murphy, the program’s director, said the dogs provide a unique experience and a nonjudgmental ear for listening.

“They don’t correct them, they don’t tease them if they make a mistake,” Murphy said during a phone interview, “so they feel more comfortable reading.”

Dora Gongora (left) reads a book to 4-year-old Camden Miltyburger as she pets Shealyn, a golden retriever therapy dog, during the Canine Literacy event at Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Canine Literacy Program Director, Barbara Murphy (right), oversees the reading session. Shealyn, Murphy’s personal dog, also goes to hospitals, assisted living facilities and elementary schools and is part of the AirPaws specialized team that assists passengers at John Wayne Airport. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

Murphy also shared a story about a first-grade student who had not spoken or read aloud in school for over a year, until he met a therapy dog through the Canine Literacy program. 

The student had selective mutism, and he only spoke at home and not at school. 

Murphy said teachers were brought to tears when they first heard him whisper the dog’s name at his second session with a therapy dog. After three sessions, the student progressed to whispering the books out loud to the dog.

“[The dog] brought that comfort out in him where he was able to speak,” Murphy said.

The program is primarily funded by donations and relies on volunteers.  

COVID-19 forced the program to temporarily stop for a few years. When the program returned after the pandemic, teachers told Murphy the student joined the student council and gave a speech in front of the entire school — thanks to the Canine Literacy program.

Children and adults gather on the floor in the children’s section of the library and read with therapy dogs while Canine Literacy volunteers from OC Animal Allies oversee the event at Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

According to the organization’s website, studies have shown that petting a dog lowers blood pressure and stress.

In classroom programs, teachers have seen improvements with their students, Murphy said. Students who weren’t comfortable reading out loud before became more confident, and attendance improved since students didn’t want to miss out with the dogs. 

“They develop a bond with that dog as each week goes on they become more and more comfortable reading,” Murphy said.

Trudy Le Claire, a volunteer with OC Animal Allies for 10 years, and her dog, Kalani Cupcake, at Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

A child reads a book to Gracie, the 6-year-old therapy dog, at the Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

Families & Volunteers Become Mainstays

For some families, visiting the therapy dogs in libraries became a part of their routine.

Van Ngo and her 5-year-old daughter, Brianna, have regularly attended the library events for almost two years. They currently go to about six libraries a month to help Vu with her reading homework. 

It became more than homework for Brianna.

“She’d rather be here than watching TV,” Ngo said at Mesa Verde Library in Costa Mesa during the canine literacy event.

Van Ngo (middle) helps 5-year-old Brianna Vu read her book while Kalani Cupcake, the therapy dog, listens while resting at Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

Carol Kirkpatrick has been taking 10-year-old Claire Dacuycuy to these events for almost a year. Kirkpatrick said she appreciates the improvements the program offers to children and wishes the resource was available sooner.

“I wish we could have had [the Canine Literacy program] for my two girls when they were kids, and even for me,” Kirkpatrick said during the event at Mesa Verde Library.

10-year-old Claire Dacuycuy reads her book aloud while Shealyn, a therapy dog, sits and listens attentively to her at Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

Murphy said some students even overcame their fear of dogs. The program operates in some areas that are mainly surrounded by apartment buildings that don’t allow dogs, limiting the children’s exposure to dogs.

One fourth grader had never pet a dog until she met the golden retriever named Shealyn, one of Murphy’s dogs in the program. 

The program works with local libraries to extend their services to reach more children in the community. Canine Literacy is looking to further expand its outreach to the community, but Murphy said the program needs more volunteers. 

“I’ve got a waiting list a mile long of schools that want to participate, but we need the volunteers,” Murphy said.

A Big Program Starts From Small Beginnings

6-year-old Mira Feldman-Gladwell (right) loves to read to Schatzie, a therapy dog, with her mom, Taylor Feldman (left), at Mesa Verde Library March 3, 2026. They have been going to as many different libraries across Orange County to read to the therapy dogs as possible for over a year. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

OC Animal Allies has served Orange County residents since 1984 and gained their nonprofit status in 1987. 

Currently, the organization has 175 volunteers who help the community through education, resources and services, according to the organization’s website. It offers five therapy dog initiatives under Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) programs, including the literacy program. 

The literacy program has been operating for over 20 years, and it started as a small afterschool program. 

The dogs learn essential skills during training, and after training, they spend four months with adults and two months at a children’s facility to apply what they have learned. If they pass, they become eligible for the program, according to Murphy. 

Murphy trains volunteers on what to bring and what to expect to manage the dogs. Each dog in the program are the volunteers’ personal pets when they aren’t working.

Gracie (brown dog) and Schatzie (black and white dog) “on break,” playing with each other at Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

After the children read a book aloud to the therapy dogs, volunteers gave out bookmarks of the dogs to the children at Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

Cindy Norek and Jack Norek have been volunteering with OC Animal Allies for about 10 years. They said they love how the program has grown to reach more kids under Murphy’s leadership. 

They have two dogs in the program: Schatzie and Gracie. 

Gracie is a 6-year-old dachshund who loves to play until she puts on her special bandana to get to work, Cindy Norek said while volunteering at Mesa Verde Library. 

Gracie has been in the program for three years, and Schatzie has been involved for about nine years. 

“For [the volunteers] to give up their time to train their dogs and bring their dogs here is wonderful,” Kirkpatrick said. “It’s a great opportunity.”

Kalani Cupcake, a trained therapy dog, listens to participants reading a story being aloud to her with volunteer Trudy Le Claire at Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

Librarians get to choose which available therapy dog comes to their location, and the dogs rotate between all the libraries the program operates with. The librarian is in charge of organizing the children and the dogs to take turns. 

For in-school operations, there are two types of structures: pull-out and whole-classroom. Both structures come to the schools once a week for a five-to-six-week period. 

The pull-out structure works with teachers and students from various grade levels that are pulled out of class to read to the dogs. The whole-classroom structure works with all students in the class.

Participants read aloud together to Gracie, a 6-year-old dachshund who has been in the program for three years, at Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

Therapy dogs also attend special events like family literacy nights at schools. 

Sometimes, the classroom with the most attendees at the event wins the opportunity for a one-time visit from the therapy dogs. 

Canine Literacy volunteers have also gone to the Orange County Book Fair and the Golden West College Science Night where 500 to 600 students read science literature to the dogs. 

Other services under the organization’s PAWS programs include therapy dogs for assisting travelers at John Wayne Airport, a specialized team for comforting child victims preparing for court cases, educational programs to teach kids how to respect and safely interact with animals and special events upon request. 

OC Animal Allies also offers an Animal Relief Fund and NO Empty Bowls program to assist low-income Orange County pet owners with veterinary and food costs.

Mesa Verde Library on March 3, 2026. Credit: LAUREN CONTRERAS, Voice of OC

To find therapy dog dates and a library closest to you, click here. 

Due to high demand, applications to request therapy dogs for special events must be made two months prior and submitted on their website.

To apply to volunteer with animal allies, click here.

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