Our Weekly Hero: 10-Year-Old Boy Who Reads To Shelter Dogs Every Weekend

The dogs at this NYC Animal Shelter have found comfort and companionship in 10-year-old Evan B. who visits them every weekend and soothe them with his storytelling. Evan sits on a mat before the cages and reads to the abandoned dogs, who grow calmer in his presence. Story via: Buzzfeed

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Meet Evan B., a very special 10-year-old from the Bronx, New York, who reads to dogs at the Animal Care Centers of NYC on weekends.

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He's been a junior volunteer since August after his mom found a dog tied to a fence, brought him to the ACC and found out about the volunteer program as a result:

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"I always wanted to work with dogs and I was excited when she told me that I could read to them!" Evan told BuzzFeed.
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Reading to the dogs at the shelter helps to soothe their anxieties and fear, derived mainly from the strange scents and sounds in their new environment.

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A rewarding Experience to everyone:

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"The most rewarding experience is when I try to specifically help an at-risk dog and I can almost immediately see the impact and how they react to me reading to them," Evan said. "They start to get calm and quiet and some even fall asleep. They will be at the front of the kennel and end up curled up on their beds snoring. That makes me happy because I can tell they are scared and stressed. I sometimes bring toys for the dogs I read to as a reward for being listeners, but I end up giving toys to almost all of them!"
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In addition to donating his time and providing enrichment for the pups, Evan also helped raise $1,000 for the ACC by selling shirts for several weeks.

via /eb_and_the_pets