HEALTH GUIDE
Therapy dog Honey sits with twins Perla and Victoria Ruiz Luna, 8, during a reading session at Maricopa Library and Cultural Center.
From storybooks to hospital waiting rooms, these Maricopa dogs have a job This mother-daughter dog duo spend their week bringing comfort to the community By Karen Bartunek
I F YOU ASK 8-YEAR-OLD TWINS PERLA AND VICTORIA Ruiz Luna, the best part about reading at the library are the fluffy dogs they get to cuddle with. It was the twins’ first time at Tales & Tails, a program at the Maricopa Library and Cultural Center that combines two favorite pastimes — reading and petting cute dogs — and they were ready, dog-themed books in hand. “They love dogs and I think it will help them read better,” said their mother, also named Perla Ruiz Luna.
Journal of Special Needs Education” offered some encouraging evidence.
Struggling readers reading to dogs for 30 minutes twice a week showed greater gains in two standardized reading tests compared to those who participated in a similar reading program without dogs. Researchers also noted children spent more time on task and showed more positive emotions compared to children reading without dogs. The benefits of programs like Tales & Tails may go beyond reading skills. For therapy dogs Honey and Hope,
just feels more confident,” said her mother, Heidi Crawford. “She’s reading better after a couple of months.” Crawford isn’t alone in thinking this. While research is still limited, a 2023 study published in the “European
They were all smiles when their 15-minute session ended. Immediately after them, 7-year-old Violet Crawford filed in to have her turn reading to the therapy dogs. “She hasn’t been a strong reader until this year; now she
InMaricopa.com | October 2026
October 2026 | InMaricopa.com
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