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STAMFORD, Conn. Ah, a dog's life. Samantha not only got to go to a cool, air-conditioned library Saturday. She also had stories read to her by a group of appreciative children, and, well, she did have to do a few tricks in return.
Samantha is a therapy dog and she made friends with Elton Batista and a half dozen or so other children at the Ferguson Library. As the kids read, Samantha wagged her tail and watched, making the kids laugh and smile.
It makes it more fun, said Samantha's owner, Linda Quinton.
Quinton started off reading May I Pet Your Dog?, a tutorial that included instruction such as letting the dog smell your hand first and where to pet her. The kids then got to demonstrate what they learned with Samantha.
Then the kids read to Samantha and the rest of the group. Maryan Guzman even showed Samantha the pictures so she could see what was going on in the story.
After each child read to Samantha, Quinton helped the child make Samantha do a trick. One was called "spin, take it," where a toy was placed on one side of the room and the dog would get it, bring it to the child, and scoot back. Each trick ended with a ta-da, where Samantha would take a bow.
Samantha and Quinton are part of Therapy Dogs International. They have been coming to the Ferguson Library for the past three years and also visit hospitals and senior citizen homes to spread good cheer.
What are your kids doing to keep busy over the summer? Share below and add to the conversation.
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