At Chartiers Valley Primary School in the Chartiers Valley School District, dogs are lending their ears to help 750 students in kindergarten through second grade learn to read. A therapy dog reading program, started at the end of the 2012-2013 school year by school principal Julie Hopp, brings volunteers and their dogs to the school four times each month. All work at and/or volunteer with the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, and the dogs are all certified through Therapy Dogs International.

Volunteers and their dogs introduced students at CV Primary School to the therapy.

Lynn Ready-Aspiotes with her dog, Walter, talks to kindergarten students at Chartiers Valley Primary School.

Nancy Wolfe with her dog, Oliver.

Hurricane and Adora are very fond of each other.

Sarah Shively's dog, Adora, shows just how cool it is to be a therapy dog while Lynn Ready-Aspiotes looks on.

Walter is all tuckered out from his visit with students at CV Primary School.

Lynn Ready-Aspiotes talks to the students about how to act around a dog they've just met.

Nola is all smiles after her visit with the students at CV Primary.

At the end of the school assembly, Walter and Nola, both pit bulls, hang out with their owners, Lynn Ready-Aspiotes and Michele Carso. An often misunderstood breed, a well-bred, well-socialized and well-trained pit bull is one of the most intelligent and gentle dogs, according to the Association of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).