Getting dogs adopted is the goal of the ASPCA on the Upper East Side in New York City. Some dogs are too traumatized to handle human contact. Volunteers reading to them for 20 minutes at a time helps create a connection.
Source: New York Times, June 9, 2016.
We need to get the dogs comfortable with what they’ll be seeing when they’re put up for adoption,” said Victoria Wells, the society’s senior manager of behavior and training. “People looking at them, people walking around and handling them. This is the very first step in that process. It’s hands-off socialization.”