Meramec Elementary students spent time working on their reading skills while making a difference in the lives of shelter animals at the Humane Society of Missouri on Wednesday, Nov. 14. Through the Humane Society’s Shelter Buddies Reading Program, students spent time reading to the dogs outside of their kennels to reduce the dogs’ anxiety and help them become more adoptable. Through the experience, the Meramec students not only worked on their reading skills in a unique and fun way, but they also were inspired by the shelter animals’ stories of hardship and perseverance.