Kids read bedtime stories to dogs at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home

Children from across the country can take part.
Jacob Bassett, 6, reading his story.Jacob Bassett, 6, reading his story.
Jacob Bassett, 6, reading his story.

Children across Scotland have been invited to read stories to dogs at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home.

The home has launched a competition, Tell Your Tail, asking primary-age children to submit short stories.

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Those who are selected to take part will be invited to the home to record their story, which will then be played to dogs over tannoy at the home.

The aim is to help the dogs get used to the sound of human voices in preparation for joining a new family.

Daniel Tipping, Education Officer at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, cites anecdotal evidence showing that hearing a range of voices can help to prepare animals for their new home.

The home already plays music to dogs through the kennel speaker system, alongside a programme of training, exercise and other enrichment activities.

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The Tell Your Tail competition was launched before lockdown but was put on hold as a result of the pandemic.

"Tell Your Tail invites primary school aged children to send us a short story – around 200 words – on any topic of their choosing,” said Mr Tipping.

"Whether it’s something seasonal, heart-warming, a bit about their own pet, or anything in between, we want to hear them all.

"Once a month, we’ll select one story we love and invite the writer down to Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, where we’ll get a recording of them reading their masterpiece in their own words.

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"This recording will then be played through our kennel speaker systems as a relaxing bedtime story across the entire month.

"There’s some great anecdotal evidence showing that hearing a range of voices can help prepare animals for their new forever home – in addition, reading to animals can improve literacy and self-confidence in young people.

"At Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home we are immensely proud of the enrichment work we offer the animals in our care.

"Through structured training programmes, feeding, exercise, and the music we play through our kennel speaker system, we do all we can to help make an animal’s time at the Home a positive one, and we are excited to add Tell Your Tail to this.

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The winner for March was six-year-old Jacob Bassett, with a story about two kittens his family took in from the home in 2019.

Entitled “Forever Home”, it tells the story of Beanie and Boo’s rehoming journey: "Once upon a time there were two kittens, their names were Beanie and Boo.

"Beanie was shy at first but soon Boo helped him. They were cheeky at first.

“They came from the dog and cat home. Their family got them. The family name was the Bassetts, a mum, a dad and two children.

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"They were very happy. There was lots to explore. After a while they could go outside. It was great having a home.

"They had toys to play with, and at night they jump up to the little boy’s bunk bed and hold his hand.

"One day it will happen to you, you will have a forever home too.”

Story submissions can be emailed to [email protected] or posted to Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, 26 Seafield Road East, Edinburgh, EH15 1EH.

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