Day 6: Tales for Tails

From his special boots to his shaved fur, every detail about Niko invites kids to connect, learn, and embrace differences.

Niko’s journey to becoming a Paws & Think therapy dog started with a challenge. Just as he and his handler, Raena, were preparing for their therapy dog evaluation, Niko was diagnosed with a meningioma, a tumor inside his spinal column that required major surgery and months of healing. His recovery left him moving a little differently and sometimes needing extra support, but it didn’t dampen his gentle spirit.

After returning to volunteering, Niko discovered the place he loves most: library visits. For the past two years, he has spent one Saturday a month at the Lawrence and Fort Ben libraries, sometimes also filling in at Carmel, Glendale, or Curious Squirrel Bookshop. Kids are instantly curious about him, asking about his harness, his boots, or the spots where his fur never fully grew back. These questions spark impactful conversations about differences, resilience, and empathy before they even open their books.

What follows is pure magic. Confident readers, shy beginners, multilingual storytellers, and imaginative little ones who aren’t reading yet all find comfort beside Niko. Some return month after month just to read to him again. And for Raena, whose mother was a reading specialist, Paws to Read is a deeply meaningful way to combine her passion for literacy with Niko’s calm, comforting presence.

Niko shows young readers that everyone moves at their own pace, and that we all have something special to offer the world.

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