At Oldsmar library, these dogs help children read without judgment

Violet Keller, 6, reads a "Mia Mayhem" children’s book to Boston terrier Bailey while participating with the Project PUP reading program at the Oldsmar Public Library on Friday. [ Photo by DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD/Times ]

Project PUP gives children a quiet, welcoming space to practice words, make mistakes and discover the joy of reading.

Violet Keller leaned toward Bailey, a Boston terrier resting quietly beside her, and held up a picture from her book.

For a moment, the reading stopped. Violet, a 6-year-old from Oldsmar, was more interested in making sure Bailey had seen the illustration. Bailey looked back patiently, offering the kind of quiet attention that was at the heart of a children’s reading program Friday at the Oldsmar Public Library.

Three therapy dogs and their handlers visited the library for a series of individual 15-minute reading sessions organized through Project PUP, or Pets Uplifting People. About a dozen children attended, taking turns sitting beside the dogs and reading aloud at their own pace.

From left: Handlers Janelle Remy, with Labrador retriever mix Farrah; Molly Gavigan, with mini-goldendoodle Lucy; and Nancy Ketchum, with Boston terrier Bailey, set up for reading sessions with children while participating in the Project PUP reading program on Friday. [ Photo by DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD/Times ]

Labrador retriever mix Farrah introduces herself to Valentina Petrantoni while handler Janelle Remy, left, and Constanza Petrantoni, 3, participate in the Project PUP reading program on Friday. [ Photo by DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD/Times ]

Handler Janelle Remy, left, with Labrador retriever mix Farrah, listen as Valentina Petrantoni reads with her daughter, Constanza Petrantoni, 3, during the Project PUP reading program on Friday. [ Photo by DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD/Times ]

Rosie Coleman, 2, reads to therapy dog Lucy during the Project PUP reading program on Friday. [ Photo by DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD/Times ]

The program is designed to give young or developing readers a calm, judgment-free place to practice.

Anthony Casale, Oldsmar’s children’s services librarian, said the experience can be especially meaningful for children who are not yet proficient readers but are beginning to understand the confidence and enjoyment that can come from sharing a book.

“Children come in and make mispronunciations, they stutter, and sometimes they are babbling their words, but in their minds, they are reading,” Casale said.

There were no corrections from the dogs, no pressure to sound out every word perfectly and no need to hurry. The children could pause, turn a page, show a picture or simply enjoy having a quiet companion beside them.

Whitney Detwiler, left, meets Boston terrier Bailey while her daughter Savanna Detwiler, 7, and son David Detwiler, 9, meet therapy dogs Lucy and Farrah during the Project PUP reading program on Friday. [ Photo by DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD/Times ]

Violet Keller, 6, reads to Boston terrier Bailey while participating in the Project PUP reading program on Friday. [ Photo by DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD/Times ]

Addison Maggi, 8, center, reads with her mother, Dawn Maggi, while handler Janelle Remy sits with Labrador retriever mix Farrah as they participate in the Project PUP reading program on Friday. [ Photo by DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD/Times ]

Addison Maggi, 8, works through the text in a children’s book while participating in the Project PUP reading program on Friday. [ Photo by DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD/Times ]

Handler Janelle Remy brought Farrah, a Labrador retriever mix, to participate in the sessions. Remy said the presence of a dog can make reading feel less intimidating and help a child become more comfortable.

“This is a simple way to ease fear in children,” Remy said.

Throughout the program, children settled onto the floor with books in their laps. Some read carefully, while others spoke softly or moved quickly through the pictures. The dogs remained close, listening without expectation.

For young readers like Violet, the session was about more than pronouncing the words on a page. It was also about sharing a story with a new friend — one picture, one page at a time.