An 11-year-old boy in Florida has completed more than 100 hours of reading to rescue animals at a local shelter, becoming the first child to achieve the milestone through the Jacksonville Humane Society’s Pawsitive Reading programme.Nehemiah Turner started volunteering at the Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS) in 2024. For the past two years, he has spent time reading books to dogs and cats waiting for adoption. With support from his grandmother, Nehemiah continued his visits until he completed his goal of 100 hours.According to People’s magazine, the young volunteer enjoys spending time with the animals and hopes his reading helps them feel calmer while they wait for new homes.The Jacksonville Humane Society’s Pawsitive Reading programme allows children to visit the shelter and read aloud to pets. The programme is designed to provide enrichment for both children and animals.According to JHS, simply listening to a person read aloud can help lower stress levels in animals. The programme also helps children improve their reading skills in a safe and friendly environment.
First visit to 100 hours
Nehemiah had been working towards the 100-hour milestone since joining the programme. JHS said participants earn paw print stickers on their name badges as they complete reading hour milestones, with a gold paw print sticker being the highest achievement.After reaching 100 hours, Nehemiah received a certificate from the shelter recognising his achievement. Photos shared by JHS showed the 11-year-old sitting near dogs’ living areas and reading books to the animals. He was also seen holding his certificate celebrating his volunteer service.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.Nehemiah described his experience of reading to animals as calming. “It’s soothing, feels good, calm. They’re comforted animals, not like a whole bunch of barking is happening,” he told Action News Jax.One dog that became special to him was Hopper. According to the Jacksonville Humane Society, Nehemiah read to Hopper during every visit until the dog was adopted after spending nearly 400 days at the shelter.
Shelter praises Nehemiah
The shelter said his dedication has created a positive impact beyond the animals he reads to. Jacksonville Humane Society CEO Lawrence Nicolas praised Nehemiah’s commitment to helping homeless animals.“Nehemiah’s story perfectly embodies our core belief at the Jacksonville Humane Society that generosity breeds joy,” Nicolas said.“In a world where we’ve become increasingly reliant on screens, here is a young man who quietly set a goal to help homeless animals by reading books and, in doing so, has inspired his entire community,” he added.Nicolas said the organisation is proud of Nehemiah and grateful for the contribution made by him and other children participating in the Pawsitive Reading programme.The Pawsitive Reading programme at Jacksonville Humane Society is open to children who want to spend time reading with shelter animals. Before joining, children and a parent or guardian must attend a one-time orientation session.After completing the orientation, participants can visit the shelter during opening hours to read to dogs and cats. Children are encouraged to spend at least 30 minutes reading during each visit, with no maximum time limit.Participants can bring their own books or choose from the shelter’s Pawsitive Reading library. The programme also provides children with an opportunity to practise reading in a comfortable environment while spending time with animals.
