I saw this yesterday, and I love it

Kids get shelter dogs' tails wagging by reading them tales

Through a slide show, the kids learn to recognize stress signals in a dog's body language. They also learn how to approach such dogs — sitting sideways, with quiet voices and "library behavior" — and how to reward them with kibble if they respond.

While the shelter doesn't have hard numbers, Klepacki believes the program has made a huge difference. "Just look at the dogs in these photos," she said. "These were dogs that before were hiding in the backs of the rooms with their tails tucked. You can see the connection — you can see them responding to those kids."

The kids get reading practice and develop empathy, and the dogs learn to calm down and come out of their shells. It's a win-win situation.