Ways to Volunteer

Read With Me™

There are so many benefits to reading, from enhancing your knowledge and expanding your vocabulary to improving your communications skills to reducing stress. The Pet Partners Read With Me™ initiative intentionally incorporates therapy animals to support readers of all ages and abilities.

A young boy in a classroom reads to a rabbit in a basket.
Oreyo the Rabbit
A young boy in a classroom reads to a rabbit in a basket.
Oreyo the Rabbit
https://petpartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Rosie-the-Australian-Cattle-Dog-.png

How Can I Become a Read With Me Team?

All newly registered Pet Partners therapy animal teams are automatically enrolled in the Read With Me program. As part of your registration, you’ll receive free support materials with best practices for literacy visits, including tips on engaging young readers, suggested visit locations, and curated book lists organized by species. There is no additional cost to participate—just bring your therapy animal and start supporting literacy in your community today!

Rosie the Australian Cattle Dog

Promote Reading at Your Facility

Young boy reads a book while on the floor with a Pet Partners therapy dog wearing a yellow vest.
Daphne the Labradoodle

If you’re interested in working with Pet Partners’ Read With Me teams to promote reading in your facility and community at large, post a volunteer opportunity through our website and registered therapy animal teams in your geographic area will be able to contact you directly to discuss your needs in further detail.

You can also check the Community Partners Directory to search for active groups in your area and inquire about setting up a Read With Me visit.

Young boy reads a book while on the floor with a Pet Partners therapy dog wearing a yellow vest.
Daphne the Labradoodle

Help Build Self-Confidence!

A cat rests on a bed while someone is reading a book.Whether you choose to participate in Read With Me visits at your local school or public library, an adult literacy program, or as an extension of visits you’re already making to the children’s hospital or housing shelter, reading to a therapy animal improves an emerging reader’s attitude towards reading and helps build self-confidence. For you, it can be a fun and exciting new visit opportunity!

Other Pet Partners Initiatives

A man takes a walk outside with a tan dog.

Walk With Me™

Our Walk With Me™ initiative promotes the benefits of exercise and being active with pets. It inspires families, students, employees, and older adults to get together and walk with therapy animals.

Learn more
A closeup of a person and their hands hugging a boxer; the feeling is one of sadness and comfort. Photo by Myriams Fotos from Pixabay.

Animal-Assisted Crisis Response

Our animal-assisted crisis response (AACR) teams have the opportunity to comfort people in their communities after a crisis event. Our trained therapy animal teams are deployed in response to major events, such as natural, human-caused, or technological disasters.

Learn more
Young child reading to a dog while laying on a bed.

We Are All Ears

Children who are learning to read are often hesitant about their reading abilities. Many kids feel more at ease reading to pets, who are simply there to listen—not to judge how well they are reading.

Learn more