Bakersfield children are now getting an experience of a lifetime as local volunteers are combining feline friends with books.
The Barks-N-Books program just launched with a goal of helping children meet the puppies of a local dog rescue program (the Marley’s Mutts gang) and read to the rescue pups, who provide non-judgemental and long listening partners.
“Kids just love it. The parents love it a lot,” remarked Beale Library worker Susan Palm.
Organizers of the event say reading becomes a chore for many students, so the dogs help them enjoy reading.
“It’s just the child and the dog. They can finally relax, and those words start flowing,” stated Susan.