Harold Randolph and his dog Stoney are new volunteers in the School for the Blind’s reading program. Their visits are welcomed by the students who enjoy petting and reading to Stoney.
Stoney has recently been trained as a therapy dog, but served as a seeing eye dog for most of his life. He belonged to Harold’s late wife, Terrie, who was our braille reading teacher for 27 years. As a seeing eye dog, Stoney would lie quietly beneath Terrie’s desk as she helped her students practice reading.
Harold and Stoney are great listeners and encouragers. Time with Stoney is a great incentive to encourage reading. “Some children are more comfortable reading to a dog especially children who are self-conscious reading in front of their classmates,” said Robert Ward, lead teacher in the School for the Blind. “Harold and Stoney will help the children relax and enjoy their reading time.”