Adoption Fee Sponsored by Reading District Libraries

Thanks to Berks County readers who took part in the annual Pages for Pets program, Reading District Libraries is sponsoring the adoption fee of Weebles, a 2-year-old female American pit bull terrier/Boston terrier from the Animal Rescue League of Berks County (ARL).

During the Pages for Pets program, which ran from June 23 to July 25, community members were asked to read a total of 500,000 minutes. If the goal was met, the library district would sponsor the adoption fee of a shelter animal.

Berks County readers officially met the goal by July 25. On July 28, the ARL announced that Weebles was the pet whose adoption fee would be covered through the community effort.

According to http://www.berksarl.org, Weebles has had a rough start to life and is learning how to make more friends. "Once she's out of her kennel and feeling more comfortable and confident in herself, you'll get to witness her tap-dancing skills whenever she gets excited," the biography states. "Weebles is looking for a new forever home that will give her tons of love and support as well as some patience along the way."

Those interested in Weebles may email adoption@berksarl.org to set up a time to meet her.

During the Pages for Pets program, participants could read whatever they choose, including novels, e-books, audiobooks, newspapers or comics and graphic novels. They then logged their reading minutes at http://www.berkslibraries.org. The program's progress was also displayed at each participating library, which included the Village Library of Morgantown and the Boone Area Library in Birdsboro.

"The Reading District Libraries used the funding from our budget to sponsor the program," explained Marissa Guidara, youth services district consultant for Reading District Libraries.

For the first year of the program, Agent 007, a senior black cat, had his adoption fee sponsored and was adopted soon after. Last summer, Berks County readers successfully met the goal, and the ARL announced that Egypt, a 1-year-old pit bull, was the sponsored pet. She was adopted into her forever home shortly thereafter. 

"For Agent 007, they had specifically talked about that fact that he was a senior cat, which is a tough sell, and he was also difficult to adopt out because he is a black cat, and people have superstitions about that," noted Guidara. "Last year, they chose Egypt. We are happy with whoever they choose; we are happy to support them."

Guidara emphasized that the annual reading challenge was open to people of all ages. "Originally, the main target audience was kids and teens, but a lot of adults also wanted to participate, including a lot of older adults," she noted. "It was an easy way for them to give back. Maybe they can't financially support ARL, or they don't have the ability to volunteer there, so this was a way they could do their part. Kids (can also) learn what they can accomplish when people work together."

She added that Pages for Pets is designed to coincide with the Summer Reading Programs, which were offered at Berks County libraries. "Pages for Pets combines two things our community loves: reading and helping animals," said Guidara. "It's heartwarming to see people of all ages come together to make a real difference, one page at a time. We're so proud of our community."

The ARL is located at 58 Kennel Road, Birdsboro. For more information, about Weebles and other adoptable pets, visit the previously mentioned website or http://www.facebook.com/berksARL.