VICKI ROBERTS: Let's go to school.
They all love Chester. He's very calm. He's 12 years old. The kids get so excited. When we go by, I hear, "Chester! Chester!"
My name is Vicki Roberts, I have a therapy dog named Chester. We come to a school in Pasadena every week and read with kids.
Hi, David, how are you?
The name of the program that we're with--
I think he remembers you.
--is called Tail Wagging Tutors.
BOY: To work--
VICKI ROBERTS: I knew that I wanted to do something with kids. But we started last year. The way Chester helps the kids is to help them gain confidence.
BOY: Touch.
VICKI ROBERTS: The teachers here know how to help them with their specific disability, but Chester is here to be a calming source.
TINA SUTTON: Chester's such a good dog.
VICKI ROBERTS: Tina Sutton, who's the dyslexia teacher here, had heard about our program reading with kids and wanted to start something like that in a school.
Let's go to Chester's cubby.
TINA SUTTEN: My name is Tina Sutten. I work at Turner Elementary. I work with dyslexic students, and I work with students who are having difficulties on different levels reading. I heard about this program and how therapeutic it was. I found the International Therapy Dog site, told them that I was looking for some dogs to come to our school. They sent out an email, and I got responses back, made contact with those people, and Miss Vicki has been the long running success story of that.
VICKI ROBERTS: It's very rewarding, after a few visits, they'll read louder, because they're not afraid that anybody is going to laugh at them. They just blossom. It's exciting to watch.
I wish that there were more dogs available to come and help, because the kids really do benefit from it.