A SPECIAL project involving dog-lovers and their pets aims to help west Wales schoolchildren with their confidence in literacy and communication.

Burns By Your Side, an initiative run by the Burns Pet Nutrition Foundation charity sees volunteers and their dogs visiting schools and nurseries in south Ceredigion for a few hours each month.

Their goal is to help children read out loud to their dog.

“We believe this will increase their motivation to read independently, build their confidence in communicating and reading fluency, make them feel less stressed and anxious, open their eyes to the wonderful world of books and learn how to respect animals,” said a spokesperson.

“Your dog should be healthy, well-behaved and have a good level of obedience. He/she should be over 18 months old and have lived with you for at least a year. Human volunteers should enjoy working with children and have a patient, caring attitude. As a volunteer team you will receive full training, on-going support, uniform for both dog and handler and travel expenses. We would welcome volunteers who are fluent in Welsh as well as English-speaking.”

For more information visit www.burnsbyyourside.org or email Sarah at [email protected]

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