
About Kids to Kitties
Through our Kids to Kitties Reading Program, children (ages 6-15) spend time reading to shelter cats. Children work on their reading skills and build confidence in a cozy, judgment-free environment.
Kids to Kitties is inspired and supported by local animal welfare advocate, Sherry Dunn. Her belief in bridging the gap between animals and children in need, brought our program to life. Her book series, Maddy & Jasmine, will be available for children to read from our onsite library.

Program Details
Schedule and Location
Kids to Kitties is hosted every Saturday, from 1:00PM – 2:00PM at the Humane Society of St. Lucie County. Space is limited to 4 children (and their guardians) per session. Available space for each session is viewed through our volunteer portal, Better Impact.
What to Expect at the Shelter
At the shelter, Kids to Kitties readers choose from any of the four rooms housing our cat residents. Feline friends who could benefit greatly from being read to are labeled with a speech bubble!
All readers are provided a green vest to clearly identify them among their guardians. They will also be able to choose a blanket and / or pillows to enhance their reading experience.
Benefiting Cats and Children
Participants of the Kids to Kitties Reading Program are contributing to the well-being of themselves and our shelter cats:
- Children build confidence in their literacy and comprehension skills
- Low, soft-tones improve mood and reduce stress among shelter animals, particularly cats
- Sharing a space with someone new helps improve shy or skittish behaviors in cats
- Children have a hands on role in important parts of caring for shelter animals

Further Details
SIGN UP
New participants MUST sign up through Better Impact. Prior to joining us at the shelter for a session, readers and their guardians MUST review the Orientation Video inside Better Impact.
For assistance in signing up through Better Impact, please reach out to [email protected]
COST
Our Kids to Kitties Reading Program has NO COST associated with participation.
After signing up for Kids to Kitties in Better Impact, you will gain access to a new page with further details about what to expect at the shelter, what you need to bring, and a link to an orientation video detailing important information. Orientation for Kids to Kitties MUST be completed with your reader prior to joining us at the shelter.
For assistance in watching the orientation video, please reach out to [email protected]
Kids to Kitties is hosted at the Humane Society of St. Lucie County every Saturday. You can signup for any available Saturday in the calendar year, as far in advance as you’d like.
CANCELLATIONS
- If you are unable to attend a Kids to Kitties session, you can remove yourself from the signup list in Better Impact up to 3 hours before the start time. We understand emergencies happen. If you need to cancel your Kids to Kitties session outside of this window, we can still accommodate you! Please reach out to [email protected] for assistance.
- In the event that we need to cancel an entire Kids to Kitties session for all participants, you will be notified by email and phone.
Have further questions? Get in touch with our Volunteer & Animal Resource Coordinator
Erin Sugrue | [email protected] | (772) 238-5631 ext. 7
This is a great chance for kids to learn and grow while also helping the animals in their community! I’m so excited to see how the kids’ passion for caring for animals is shining through, and I know they’ll also develop stronger reading and comprehension skills along the way.
– Dominique Hedgepeth
Feline Care Manager at Humane Society of St. Lucie County
