Michelle Jefferson and her daughter, Annika, came to their local library, in Washington, DC, on a Wednesday afternoon, to pick up some books. But ended up staying "quite longer" to read to dogs. "It seems like when she started reading and talking to the puppies and talking to the librarians about dogs, she started to offer up more information, she started to take some initiative," Michelle tells AFPTV. For one hour, Meeka, Oliver Toast, and Alfred lent an ear to the young readers, offering them a relaxed and friendly environment to practice. "It's just been a really sweet exchange to be able to see what an impact just a simple presence of one animal can do for children," says Amanda Mendelson, a therapy animal handler who has been volunteering with her dog Meeka for eight years. "When we go home, she'll sleep for a long time. She might even not really want her dinner," Mendelson adds while patting Meeka's head. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES