Kids read to shelter dogs during event at Animal Foundation — VIDEO

By Mat Luschek The Las Vegas Review-Journal

6 years ago

First-grader Aubrey Haws, 6, participates in the 4th Annual "Reading to Dogs in Kennels" event at The Animal Foundation during Nevada Reading Week in Las Vegas, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (Caroline ... — First-grader Aubrey Haws, 6, participates in the 4th Annual “Reading to Dogs in Kennels” event at The Animal Foundation during Nevada Reading Week in Las Vegas, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (Caroline Brehman/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @carolinebrehman

First-graders participate in the 4th Annual “Reading to Dogs in Kennels” event at The Animal Foundation during Nevada Reading Week in Las Vegas, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (Caroline Brehman/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @carolinebrehman

First-graders are gathered before they participate in the 4th Annual “Reading to Dogs in Kennels”event at The Animal Foundation during Nevada Reading Week in Las Vegas, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (Caroline Brehman/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @carolinebrehman

First-grader Isabella Rodriguez, 6, and her mother, Kristina Rodriguez, participate in the 4th Annual “Reading to Dogs in Kennels” event at The Animal Foundation during Nevada Reading Week in Las Vegas, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (Caroline Brehman/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @carolinebrehman

Brendan Conrad, 7, and other first-graders participate in the 4th Annual “Reading to Dogs in Kennels” event at The Animal Foundation during Nevada Reading Week in Las Vegas, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (Caroline Brehman/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @carolinebrehman

First-graders line up to outside where the dogs are kept as participate in the 4th Annual “Reading to Dogs in Kennels” event at The Animal Foundation during Nevada Reading Week in Las Vegas, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (Caroline Brehman/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @carolinebrehman

The Animal Foundation of Las Vegas hosted its “Reading to the Dogs” event Thursday.

The foundation has been hosting the event for several years. Second and third graders are bused in from local elementary schools to participate in this unique experience.

During the few hours of the field trip, the kids take part in various activities at the foundation, but the main event is when they get to read books to the dogs that are housed there.

Animal Foundation volunteer John Barnes says, “It really helps to relax the dogs, relieves the dogs’ anxiety and it makes them more adoptable.” He added that the event not only helps the kids come out of their shell but also teaches them about empathy toward animals.

Contact Mat Luschek at mluschek@reviewjournal.com. Follow @matluschek on Twitter.