09/01/2026
Talbot Humane Opens Registration for PAWS to Read Challenge
Talbot Humane is encouraging parents and guardians to sign up young readers now for its PAWS to Read Challenge, a yearlong program pairing children with shelter animals while building reading skills, confidence, and compassion.
The challenge begins Sept. 1 and continues through Aug. 1, 2027. Children must enroll in Talbot Humane’s PAWS to Read program and complete an orientation with Volunteer Coordinator Megan Dornton before participating.
“PAWS to Read gives parents a wonderful way to help their children practice reading while showing them how even a quiet act of kindness can make a difference for an animal,” said Patty Crankshaw-Quimby, CAWA, executive director of Talbot Humane.
“Shelter animals need more than food, medical care, and a safe place to stay,” she says. “They also need opportunities to decompress and experience positive human interaction. A child sitting nearby and reading aloud can provide exactly the kind of calm companionship some animals need.”
Talbot Humane launched PAWS to Read in 2014 as part of its humane education programming. Reading aloud in a judgment-free setting gives children practice with phonics and comprehension while helping them develop confidence. At the same time, dogs and cats receive quiet companionship and enrichment during what can be a stressful transition.
The challenge also gives children another incentive to keep reading throughout the year.
Participants earn rewards for every 25 hours logged, including an activity bundle at 25 hours, a pizza gift certificate at 50 hours, and a PAWS to Read T-shirt at 75 hours. Children also can receive recognition on Talbot Humane’s social media channels with parental approval.
“Reading aloud gives children valuable practice while helping them build confidence and discover the joy of reading,” said Dana Newman, director of the Talbot County Free Library.
“Connecting reading with an experience children care about can make those moments even more meaningful,” she says. “Programs such as PAWS to Read also show how literacy can become part of the many ways a community cares for one another.”
Newman says children participating in the challenge can visit any Talbot County Free Library location to find books to read during their PAWS to Read visits and throughout the yearlong challenge.
Parents or guardians accompany participating children and record their reading time during each visit. Children can work toward challenge milestones throughout the program year.
“Humane education gives children an opportunity to understand animals as individuals with physical, behavioral, and emotional needs,” said Dayniese Hurley, animal care director for Talbot Humane.
“Children begin noticing how their voices, movements, and interactions affect an animal,” she says. “Those experiences can help develop empathy and responsible animal care habits they carry with them throughout their lives.”
PAWS to Read forms part of Talbot Humane’s broader approach to advancing animal welfare across the Mid-Shore.
As Talbot County’s only open-admission animal shelter, the nonprofit provides sheltering and adoption services, humane education, animal control, spay-and-neuter programs, medical and behavioral intervention, pet retention resources, and other community services designed to help animals and the people who care for them.
Community support makes programs such as PAWS to Read possible.
“Donors help us provide far more than a temporary place for an animal to stay,” said Lucie Hughes, director of advancement for Talbot Humane.
“Their support provides specialized care, enrichment, education, and community resources that improve animals’ lives before, during, and beyond their time with us,” she says. “Every gift becomes part of building the humane community we want for Talbot County.”
Parents and guardians interested in enrolling a child in PAWS to Read should contact Megan Dornton now at [email protected] or 410-822-0107 to complete registration and schedule the required orientation before participating in the challenge.
Talbot Humane serves Talbot County and the Mid-Shore through animal sheltering and adoption, humane education, pet retention and community support, spay-and-neuter initiatives, and regional leadership and collaboration to advance animal welfare.
To learn more about Talbot Humane, support its animal welfare programs, or make a donation, visit www.TalbotHumane.org.
