We Simply Don't Deserve This 10-Year-Old Boy Who Reads To Shelter Dogs Every Weekend

Some heroes wear capes, and some read books to adoptable pups in need.

This is Evan B., and he's a 10-year-old from the Bronx, New York, who reads to dogs at the Animal Care Centers (ACC) of NYC on weekends.

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He's been a junior volunteer with the Books for Boroughbreds program since August, at both the Manhattan and Brooklyn shelters. After his mom found a dog tied to a fence, she brought him to the ACC and tracked him — and not only did she learn that the dog had been adopted, but she also found out about the volunteer program as a result.

"I always wanted to work with dogs and I was excited when she told me that I could read to them!" Evan told BuzzFeed.

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Unfortunately, many dogs can get rather stressed in a shelter environment full of tons of strange scents and sounds — but reading to them can help soothe the anxious or scared pups.

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"The most rewarding experience is when I try to specifically help an at-risk dog and I can almost immediately see the impact and how they react to me reading to them," Evan said. "They start to get calm and quiet and some even fall asleep. They will be at the front of the kennel and end up curled up on their beds snoring. That makes me happy because I can tell they are scared and stressed. I sometimes bring toys for the dogs I read to as a reward for being listeners, but I end up giving toys to almost all of them!"

One particular dog, Augie, stands out to Evan as an example of how volunteers like him can make a direct impact. "I first saw him and thought he looked a lot like my dog. He was so friendly," Evan said. "He got on the risk list and I had taken a video of him in his kennel responding to my mom and we posted it on the thread — and through social media shares, I saw the impact firsthand of how the community can make a difference."

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Augie was eventually adopted, but the home he went to wasn't the best fit, and he was returned four days later. "That was another issue I wanted to address," Evan told us. "As much as we would like all the dogs to be saved and adopted, we want them to also be safe and happy. The right home and responsible ownership are very important to these animals. He was returned and ... I saw the impact of social media shares and active volunteers coming together to get this one dog to safety and maybe give him another chance at his happiness. He was eventually pulled by a rescue and he is now in foster."

Evan would like to continue to volunteer long-term and hopes to be able to walk the shelter dogs and interact with them down the line. "I want my own rescue one day and hopefully by then New York will be a no-kill state," he told BuzzFeed.

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"I think most people think that shelter dogs are not 'good' because they went through things and had bad things happen in their past. They are ALL good. All dogs are good — they’re just scared and they need love and they just need to know someone is on their side. I am happy to be their friend and I can tell it means a lot to them just by the way they react to me. All of the dogs are good, they just need love and to be trained."

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In addition to donating his time and providing enrichment for the pups, Evan also helped raise $1,000 for the ACC by selling shirts for several weeks.

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(They're currently sold out but he hopes to do a new fundraiser soon.)

Kudos to Evan (and his mom!) for making a big difference in the lives of dogs looking for a second chance at finding a loving home. You can follow his volunteer adventures with adoptable pups on Instagram at @eb_and_the_pets and get more info about the Books for Boroughbreds program here.

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