Kind Kids: Summer 2026
Welcome to our seasonal blog series, “Kind Kids,” where we celebrate the inspiring young individuals in our community who are making a difference for pets in need and spreading kindness! Each post will spotlight a young advocate who has shown exceptional compassion and generosity towards homeless pets in need.
This season we celebrate the special commitment of a Pawsitive Reader, Nehemiah Turner! Nehemiah demonstrated a way for his peers to make a difference by giving something as simple as his time.
Nehemiah Turner is already a household name, and he’s only 11 years old. The reason why? A viral news story from July showcasing Nehemiah for his incredible milestone of being the first of 3,000 participants to read to the cats and dogs at JHS for 100 hours! Since joining the program in March of 2024, Nehemiah has visited the Jacksonville Humane Society with his grandma once or twice every week for over two years to help the shelter animals at JHS feel calm in their kennels. Since hitting his goal of 100 volunteer hours, he has been featured in The Today Show, Good Morning America, ABC News, CNN, People Magazine and more.
Nehemiah featured on Good Morning America’s Play of the Day for hitting 100 hours with the Pawsitive Reading program
Pawsitive Reading is a program where children can visit the shelter to volunteer by reading aloud to the dogs and cats available for adoption. This program serves to help lower the stress levels in shelter animals while they wait for their new homes. Scientific studies point to the issue of noise pollution in a shelter setting. When a dog or a cat first arrives in a shelter, they are not yet accustomed to the sounds of staff and volunteers walking dogs, people cleaning, or sounds of people walking back and forth in front of their kennels. By reading a book out loud to the cats and dogs, it gives them a soothing noise to focus on, which in turn helps them block out the noise pollution and relax. Research highlights that even hearing audiobooks helps dogs feel calmer and relaxed (Kinnaird & Wells, 2022), but a human presence has a better impact (Tuozzi et al., 2021). Relaxed dogs and cats can showcase their personalities a bit more both inside and out of their kennels, which is transformative in helping them get adopted.
The animals at JHS are not the only ones benefiting from the Pawsitive Reading program. Since becoming a Pawsitive Reader, Nehemiah has improved his grades and participated in the Safety Patrol program at his school. He has also become a more confident reader since joining the program. “It helps with my anxiety and grades,” he shared. Scientific studies highlight the positive effects of improving literacy skills while reading to dogs, even in a shorter time-frame.
Nehemiah reading to Hopper before Hopper’s adoption after nearly 400 days at JHS
Through Nehemiah’s interview with Action News Jax’s Shay Simon, his featured milestone captured the hearts of people across America and beyond. As more saw Nehemiah’s story, more people reached out to JHS to donate to our dogs and cats to support them while they wait for their loving home.
Reflecting on his achievement, Nehemiah notes his dedication and discipline as key factors of reading for 100 hours. “I set my goal and just worked towards it. It took a while but I still made it and it felt great.” His new goal? Nehemiah now aims to hit up to 200 hours of volunteer time by reading to the cats and dogs at JHS. “I like reading to the dogs and cats because I know it helps them, and me. JHS is a nice place to spend that time.” Nehemiah especially likes to contribute his volunteer time to reading to dogs in the suites, a quieter area in the shelter for some of the nervous or stressed dogs.
Nehemiah reading to Tres the dog by the JHS suite kennels
Nehemiah’s incredible achievement in volunteering grabbed the attention of the nation for his good-will and kind heart. When asked what kindness means to him, Nehemiah simply stated “Do good, get good”. These words amplify the JHS motto – generosity breeds joy – and exemplify how engaging with the community to help those in need can bring about joy in the simplest of ways.
This avid Pawsitive Reader hopes to inspire others to take part in making a difference in the lives of everyone by finding something you enjoy. Nehemiah’s advice on how to get involved? “Find what you like to do, set a goal, and do it. There’s many different ways to help.” Nehemiah’s act of kindness shows there are a variety of ways to get involved with pets and people. We are so grateful for Nehemiah and his commitment to helping pets in need in our community. His effort shows that engaging with your community to help others feel better can spark joy and generosity in others!
Learn more about how you can get involved:
Do you know a young animal advocate who you think should be featured in this series? We’d love to hear about them: