Cathy’s Person of the Week is a retired educator…and her little dog, too.

On February 22, the Southwest Branch (Stewartsville) of the Warren County Library, hosted their ongoing program for young readers called “Read to a Therapy Pup.” Youngsters were invited to select a book from the library’s collection, or bring one from home, and practice reading aloud to Certified Therapy Pup Ollie, one-on-one, for about ten minutes each.

The benefits of Pet Therapy are many, for both child and adult. “Read to a Therapy Pup” specifically helps children improve their literacy skills in a stress-free environment while boosting their confidence. This information was not lost on Dr. Sandra Moore.

Dr. Moore, from Lopatcong, is Ollie’s handler. She’s a retired educator – teacher, principal and superintendent. As such, she has a deep interest in the reading program. “Children can read to a dog because he’s non-threatening and nobody will criticize them for making a mistake.”

Ollie, a five-year-old Havanese, is a very bright, well-behaved, low key, hypo-allergenic furry friend. Ollie is Dr. Moore’s first experience with Pet Therapy. His sweet and gentle temperament was perfect for Pet Therapy and retirement gave Dr. Moore the time to go through training. After a year of training and orientation, Creature Comfort in Morris Plains awarded Ollie the title of certified pet therapy dog. For two years now, Ollie and Dr. Moore have visited the library once a month, along with visits to Easton Hospital and St. Luke’s in Phillipsburg.

Having volunteered in hospitals for many years, the transition to Pet Therapy was a means to combine a love of dogs and the spirit of volunteerism. Dr. Moore remarked, “There are many things I enjoy about Pet Therapy, but the most is seeing the patients’, nursing home residents’, and children’s faces light up when Ollie comes in. He is also excited to see them.”

Coming on the heels of Ollie’s visit to the library is Read Across America Day on Saturday, March 2. It heralds the start of National Reading Month by celebrating the birthday of children’s author Dr. Seuss and all of his wonderful works. Initiated in 1997 by the National Education Association, the annual read-a-thon is meant to inspire children of all ages to read every day.

For children interested in reading to a therapy pup, Ollie makes a return visit to the Southwest Branch of the Warren County Library on March 7, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. The program is free, but pre-registration is required. There is a maximum of ten readers per session, ages five and up.

When it comes to the people and happenings of Warren County, you can count on award-winning photographer Cathy Miller to be there to record the moment.