Read to a dog @ Southwest!

About the event

Relax and read with a dog! This program brings dogs and reluctant readers together for 15 minutes of companionship. Handlers and their dogs provide quiet encouragement to children so that they might develop a love of reading and improve communication skills. Canines for Literacy is an affiliate program of Reading Education Assistance Dogs® (READ®).

NEW IN 2026: Starting in the new year, we will be hosting TWO therapy teams during this event, which means double the number of sign up slots! Each therapy team will consist of one dog and one handler, and will be able to host one reader at a time. We've denoted them by Therapy Team #1 and Therapy Team #2 in the sign up link.

Use this link to sign up for one 15-minute time slot.

Please feel free to bring a few books of your choice to read! When your time slot is about to begin, please hang out outside the door of the Children's Programming Room and someone will let you in when it is your time to read! Thanks :)

If you have questions about accessibility, program stimulation levels, and/or need disability accommodations, please contact us at (919) 560-8592.