There is the old expression, “The dog ate my homework,” but Bailey, a four-year-old male Maltipoo, promotes literacy instead of digesting it.
Stacy Siegal adopted her furry friend when he was a puppy and quickly enrolled him in training courses. Although she works full-time in financial services, she has always been passionate about volunteering. The Quincy resident had no idea her dog’s obedience classes would reignite her desire to give back to the community. 

“We went to puppy training and during that time the instructor said that Bailey was very extroverted and would be a good therapy dog. I thought, ‘Oh, I can combine my love of dogs and my love of volunteering together,’ said Siegal.

“We trained, we did the puppy kindergarten, an advanced puppy class, and a canine good citizen class and then got certified through the Dog B.O.N.E.S Therapy Dogs organization. And that’s how I was able to volunteer at the library.”

Dog B.O.N.E.S Therapy Dogs of Massachusetts is a 501-C3 non-profit corporation that was established in 2002 to trains dogs to provide therapeutic contact for the elderly, disabled, and youth at various locations. The acronym stands for Dogs Building Opportunities for Nurturing and Emotional Support. 

Bailey graduated from Dog B.O.N.E.S in 2021 but because of the pandemic, was not able to find work immediately. In the spring of 2022, when the world returned to some normalcy, Siegel contacted the Adams Street Branch of the Boston Public Library. Siegal had recently observed a Read to a Therapy Dog event at a library in Hingham and wanted to do the same with Bailey at the Adams Street location. 

The librarians there were excited to team up with Bailey and have now been working with him and Siegal for more than a year and a half.

“The kids get very excited to see Bailey and the theory behind it is they’re getting to practice reading one-on-one in a supportive environment. There’s no judgment,” Siegal said in an interview with the Reporter. “One of the moms had told me that the program had given her daughter more confidence in reading. Prior to the program, they would fight, but now it’s fun for her.”

Participants are asked to arrive a few minutes before their session to ensure they get a full 15 minutes with Bailey. The event is best for independent readers ages five and up but is open to all who want to join. Attendees can bring a book with them or pick one out from the library before their scheduled session. 

Residents are invited to join Bailey at another Read to a Therapy Dog session on Thurs., Oct. 28. Typically, Bailey visits the Adam Street branch once a month and has occasionally held programs twice a month.

 “I think literacy is extremely important and helping children feel confident in themselves is very important too,” Siegal said. “That’s something I think we give them. Even though it’s just a short time, every child seems to leave feeling good. They’ve finished a story and confidence carries you a long way in life.”