+ FUN FOCUS
ROTTWEILERS ARE FEATURED IN THE “GOOD DOG CARL” CHILDREN’S BOOK SERIES.
Reading to Tommy A Rottweiler who makes books fun! by SAMANTHA ST.CLAIR
HEN BROWSING THE Columbia Public Library, you may notice a common theme of Rottweiler books, pictures, video rentals, and, yes, a real live Rottie! The library hosts Tommy, an almost 11-yearold Rottweiler, who is the third of the breed to grace the library as a Reading Education Assistance Dog. For 11 years, Tommy’s handler Kelly Skiptunas and her dogs have visited the library to encourage kids to read. Tommy gladly continues the legacy of his two predecessors by being the Columbia Public Library’s mascot and best four-legged volunteer.
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“Benny, my first certified pet therapy Rottweiler, was a bone cancer survivor,” Kelly said. “He couldn’t compete in AKC trials anymore, so we had to find him another job. My dad was in hospice at the time, and Benny was a natural when visiting him. He loved people.” Kelly’s
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friend helped her get Benny certified as a therapy dog, and they began volunteering in a hospital. “We met a gentleman who knew a librarian at the Columbia Public Library, and made the connection to start volunteering with a children’s reading program.” That librarian is Lisa Greybill, the Library Administrator at the Columbia Public Library. “I love having a dog here,” Lisa said. “When I first came here, the library needed an additional program geared toward children that would help them with their reading. The dog reading program quickly became an integral part of the facility. People will come in and ask: ‘Is the dog here today?’ Everyone wants to see Tommy.” Having a dog in the library promotes creativity and learning, and the kids adore talking to and petting the gentle canine. Just being around a dog helps kids relax when they would otherwise shy away from reading out loud.
Tommy is an AKC Grand Champion with trick and herding titles, but at his age, he enjoys that he can now lie down, relax, and listen to children reading. “He was perfect the very first time he met a child in public,” Kelly explained. “He’s our happy-go-lucky boy. He’s always ready to do something fun, and he loves receiving attention.”
“I enjoy the kids. The stuff they do and say is fun, and they always show us we are appreciated,” Kelly said. Tommy is a great representative of his breed and promotes the gentle, sensitive, and loving personality Rottweilers possess. Kelly has owned eight Rottweilers and continues to see how special they are through the happiness Tommy brings to people he visits in schools, libraries, and hospitals. Visit columbiapubliclibrary.org to learn more about reading to Tommy!
