Paws To Read

What Paws To Read does

READing Paws is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded in 1999 as the first Affiliate Program of R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs), a literacy initiative originally launched by Intermountain Therapy Animals in Salt Lake City, Utah. The organization deploys nationally registered and qualified therapy animal-owner/handler teams as volunteer reading companions for children in schools, libraries, independent bookstores, Boys & Girls Clubs, and children's hospitals. Operating geographies include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Tennessee, with sub-regional coverage in NW Florida, Central Florida, and Middle/Upper East Tennessee. Corporate offices are based at 221 E River Bend Drive, Eatonton, Georgia, with administrative offices reachable in Nashville, Tennessee.

The core technology is the R.E.A.D. therapy animal-assisted literacy intervention: standardized training, health and safety testing, temperament evaluation, liability insurance, and national criminal background checks for handlers, which together form the operational backbone that differentiates READing Paws from informal "read to a dog" programs. The supporting technology surface is minimal — a GoDaddy-hosted website (readingpaws.org) with reCAPTCHA, donation flows, and a Land's End co-branded eStore for merchandise.

Revenue mechanics rely on tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals and organizations, accepted via direct mail, PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle, supplemented by merchandise sales of branded bandanas ($8), face masks ($15), custom packcloth vests (by quote), and embroidered patches ($2.50). Go-to-market is community-led and volunteer-based: growth comes from recruiting and certifying therapy animal teams through an application process and expanding into new schools, libraries, and community partners across additional U.S. regions. There are no disclosed funding rounds, revenue figures, or headcount expansions beyond a 1-10 employee band.

Name

Paws To Read

Legal name

READing Paws

Website

https://readingpaws.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

READing Paws is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that deploys nationally registered volunteer therapy animal-handler teams as reading companions for children in schools, libraries, hospitals, and community centers across five U.S. states, funded by donations and branded merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational / Animal-Assisted Literacy Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC), Service & Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Accommodations Management (EDALAGAK)

Keywords

• Animal-assisted literacy
• Therapy animal reading
• Children literacy programs
• Reading education assistance
• Nonprofit literacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Republic

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, READing Paws relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Donations can be made through local chapters, by mail, or via VENMO, ZELLE, and PayPal.
2. Merchandise/SWAG Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including bandanas, face masks, vests, and patches. Products are sold directly and through Land's End Business Outfitters eStore.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

READing Paws delivers a volunteer-driven animal-assisted literacy program in which nationally registered and qualified therapy animal-owner/handler teams visit schools, libraries, bookstores, Boys & Girls Clubs, and children's hospitals to read with children and support literacy development. The program also sells branded merchandise (bandanas, face masks, vests, patches) and accepts charitable donations to fund operations.

Product overview

READing Paws is a non-profit literacy program structured as an Affiliate of R.E.A.D.® (Reading Education Assistance Dogs®), a program of Intermountain Therapy Animals®. The core offering is a literacy mentorship service that deploys nationally registered and qualified therapy animal-owner/handler teams to schools, libraries, hospitals, and Boys & Girls Clubs as reading companions for children. The program also offers merchandise products including branded bandanas, face masks, custom vests, and embroidered patches. Additionally, the organization provides an application service for qualified Animal Assisted Therapy Teams to join their volunteer network. The program is active in multiple U.S. states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Tennessee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• READing Paws Literacy Program Animal-assisted literacy program that sends nationally registered therapy animal-owner/handler teams into community settings to read with children, supporting literacy development in a non-judgmental environment.
• Therapy Animal Team Application and Training Application and training service for active, qualified Animal Assisted Therapy Teams (owner/handler plus dog) seeking to join the READing Paws volunteer network as reading mentors.
• READing Paws Bandanas

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999READing Paws is an Affiliate of R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs), a program of Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) of Salt Lake City, Utah. ITA launched R.E.A.D. in 1999 as the first comprehensive literacy program built around reading to dogs. READing Paws is honored to be their first Affiliate Program. The partnership provides READing Paws with the foundational methodology, training standards, and brand association with the original and established literacy-through-dogs program.
• Land's End Business OutfittersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLand's End Business Outfitters has set up a special READing Paws eStore on their website, making it easier for supporters to purchase READing Paws logoed merchandise including apparel items. This partnership provides an additional distribution channel for branded merchandise sales.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pet Partners: The largest therapy animal organization in the U.S., registering therapy animal teams across multiple modalities (AAT, AAA, facility, crisis response). Comparable to READing Paws through its therapy-team registration and volunteer deployment infrastructure, though it serves far broader use cases beyond literacy.
• Canine Companions for Independence: A national non-profit that trains and places service dogs for people with disabilities. It is an adjacent peer in the service/therapy animal non-profit space and shares the volunteer-donor funding model, though its mission (mobility/assistance) differs from READing Paws's literacy focus.
• Love on a Leash: A national non-profit therapy dog organization that certifies and deploys volunteer therapy dog teams in settings such as hospitals, libraries, and schools. It is a broader peer that overlaps with READing Paws in the therapy-team deployment model and target venues.
• Alliance of Therapy Dogs: A national therapy dog registration and certification body with volunteer teams deployed across many facility types. Comparable as the underlying registry/infrastructure layer that READing Paws's handler-dog teams could be affiliated with, though Alliance focuses on certification rather than program design.
• Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA): The parent organization of the R.E.A.D. program based in Salt Lake City, Utah. ITA operates a broader portfolio of animal-assisted therapy programs (including R.E.A.D., T.A.G., and Comfort Dogs) across many states, making it the umbrella incumbent of which READing Paws is the first affiliate.

Direct peers

• Books with Badges (Humane Society of Missouri): A shelter-dog reading program operated by the Humane Society of Missouri that lets children read to shelter dogs to build literacy and calm the animals. It is a direct peer in concept — animal-assisted literacy — though anchored in a shelter-rescue context rather than registered therapy teams.
• Sit Stay Read: A non-profit organization that uses trained therapy dogs to help children improve their literacy skills, primarily serving Chicago-area schools. Sit Stay Read is a direct functional peer — same animal-assisted literacy model, similar volunteer-team delivery, similar K–12 target audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paws-to-read

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paws To Read