ALAMOSA — The Alamosa Public Library will host a “pawsitive” reading experience with the help of a furry friend - a dog called Moose. The “Tales with Moose” program will run from 3-5 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month, starting on Feb. 7 and going through May.

This gentle, patient listener is well known throughout the San Luis Valley. Moose has helped many children with their reading skills by simply having them read books to him. While he enjoys meeting children of all ages, he especially loves to hear stories read to him by readers in kindergarten through third grade.  

A registered therapy dog team, Moose and his owner, Dr. Laura Bruneau, an Adams State University professor of counselor education, belong to Pet Partners, the nation’s largest and most prestigious nonprofit registering volunteer teams who provide animal-assisted interventions.

Last month, the Alamosa Public Library Board and library staff hosted a kickoff event for children and families to meet Moose and to learn about working dogs. Over 70 people attended the event, which consisted of fun activities, door prizes, as well as cookies and hot chocolate served by the Woman’s Citizenship Club.

Any child who would like to read to Moose will have 15 minutes of one-on-one time with him in the children's story room of the library. Children will receive a special card to keep track of the number of times they have read to Moose.  When the children have read four books to Moose, they will receive a book to take home, which will be “pawtographed” by Moose himself!

Reserving a time to read to Moose is recommended. To sign up, please call the library at 719-589-3786. The Alamosa Public Library is located at 300 Hunt Ave. in Alamosa. Learn more about Pet Partners at https://petpartners.org/