Each day, Ann Brownell, the community outreach and volunteer coordinator at the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter, and other UPAWS staff and volunteers would sit with these cats and read to them. Slowly, the cats began to come out of their shells and become more trusting.

This gave Brownell the idea to begin a Read to Your Shelter Pet Program at UPAWS, and with the help of the Literacy Legacy Fund of Michigan, the program will launch in the upcoming year.

Plans for the program were discussed during an ice cream social hosted by UPAWS on Thursday afternoon.

Though the program was formed with children in mind, Brownell hopes to expand it to all ages and perhaps designate days for adults, seniors and veterans, she said.

Pictured is Yahtzee, a 4-year-old corgi mix available for adoption at UPAWS. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey)

“Of course, children will benefit from this too, but anyone can,” she said. “Bring down your stress, sit and read, and we have found that it’s extremely beneficial to the animals. That’s where I thought, let’s include adults.”

Because Brownell wants to expand the program to all ages, the details are still in the works.

“Animals don’t judge,” Brownell said. “(Readers) can sit, they feel comfortable, that unconditional love from an animal, they can read at their own pace, they can learn, they can gain confidence. I think it’s wonderful all the way around.”

Ice cream, animal-themed movies and coloring were all available during the social. Attendees also could tour the new UPAWS facility with staff to see where they would be reading and meet some of the pets to whom they might read.

Those who would like to participate in Read to Your Shelter Pet when the program begins can use SignUpGenius to register for a time slot. Check the UPAWS website or Facebook page for updates.

Suzanne and Bob Stephenson are pictured next to a Little Free Library. The couple received a grant to put the little library, which has all pet themed books, outside of the new UPAWS facility. The bench they’re sitting on is dedicated to them. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey)

“If you can’t have an animal, maybe your family can’t have one and you love them, maybe you’re a child and you’re a little bit unsure around cats — it’s just a really cool thing to get comfortable with and participate in with the community,” Brownell said. “We embrace our community. Our community gives back to us tenfold and we want to give back to them. It’s a big family up here.”

The Literacy Legacy Fund of Michigan, which supports the improvement of literacy of all ages, donated $2,500 to kickstart the program.

“By children and adults being able to read to pets, it’s non-threatening,” said Nancy Seminoff, board member of the Michigan LLF. “No one is there to correct the reader, so the reader, the person evolves self-confidence and the pets just love the attention and somebody being there and sitting with them, so everybody wins.”

The Michigan LLF has given about $40,000 throughout the state, but roughly $25,000 has been given to the Marquette community through fundraisers and events, Seminoff said.

During the event, the LLF provided around $500 worth of children’s books, many of them pet-themed, for children to take home.

“We want to see children and adults interested in literacy, using books, wanting to read and then we’re giving a book today, so they can take it home, they can read it, they can bring it back, share it with a pet, share it with somebody else, they can get another book,” Seminoff said. “We want to spread the importance of literacy throughout this community and books are one tool, but they aren’t the only tool.

“We want people to be able to read and write and speak and listen, and this gives the Read to Your Shelter Pet participants the chance to read and feel comfortable and have a sense of accomplishment.”

During the event, Suzanne and Bob Stephenson also discussed with attendees the Little Free Library, which sits outside of the UPAWS facility. Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization meant to inspire a love of reading by placing the book exchange sites throughout communities. The Stephensons have a Little Free Library on their street, which received so much use it had to be replaced. This inspired the couple, who are UPAWS volunteers, to help secure the grant that made the Little Free Library at UPAWS possible.

This particular library holds adult and children pet-themed books and is open for the public to take a book and return a book.

Trinity Carey can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206.