Foothills Humane Society All children must be A accompanied by a responsible adult ( 18 or older) and sign in at the front desk of the shelter upon arrival to make sure they get credit for their visit. If you have any questions, please call the Program Coordinator: Dana Mayer 828-243-1852 is a non-profit, 501c3 open-admission, adoptionguarantee animal welfare organization serving the rural foothills of Polk County, North Carolina and Landrum, Campobello, and Gowensville in the northern Greenville and Spartanburg counties of South Carolina. FHS serves an overall service area of approximately 25,000 people and approximately 2,300 animals per year through our various programs. FHS began in 1957 as the volunteeroperated, Polk County Animal Protection Society. In addition to our successful adoptions and rescue programs, we offer many volunteer opportunities, public training classes, training and behavior assistance for our shelter dogs and boast an average 98% live-release rate, meaning that 98% of our animals are adopted into loving homes or transferred to reputable rescue organizations. FHS BOOK BUDDIES Thank you to our sponsors:<3 Polk County Library Michelle and David Drum Foothills Humane Society 989 Little Mountain Rd. Columbus, NC28722 828-863-4444 www.foothillshumanesociety.org A Reading Program for Shelter Cats and Children! THE PROGRAM Program Overview: Children in grades 1-8 who are able to read at any level are invited to the shelter to read to the cats in our adoption rooms. This program will help children improve their reading skills while also helping the shelter animals by providing socialization and human interaction. Cats find the rhythmic sound of a voice very comforting and soothing. • Prizes will be awarded for achieving goals! After two visits, participants will receive a coupon for a free ice cream scoop or cone at O’Duggan’s Ice Cream 163 N.Trade St., Tryon, NC. • • After 5 visits, children will receive a FHS Book Buddies Tote bag. ! • “Pets can be considered a source of support” “Human-animal interaction can make the learning process more comfortable and enjoyable for children” “Autistic children who were put in contact with an animal demonstrated increased use of language and had improved social interactions while with the animal” •They showed “sustained focus and maintained a higher state of awareness, as well as improved attitudes toward school” Animals can be a “non-evaluative presence that can provide support and comfort to participants without judging them”.