A child turns a book toward a dog and reads out loud, and something happens that doesn't happen when the listener is an adult.
Katja, a chocolate English Labrador, has been on staff at Red Deer Public Library since October 2023, when she completed her final assessment and earned her facility dog vest. It took two years of training through Aspen Service Dogs, an Alberta Government Qualified Service Dog Organization, in an owner-trained program. She was the first library facility dog in Alberta.
What she actually does
Sit, Stay, Read with Katja is the main program. Kids in grades 1 to 5 register for a 30-minute one-on-one session and read to her in her reading nook. The library keeps a hand-selected collection of reading material on hand for it.
It runs at the Dawe and Timberlands branches. Families can come once or book the same slot weekly through a session. This past spring it ran Tuesdays at Dawe and Wednesdays at Timberlands, with afternoon time slots.
Registration is required, and the sessions fill. Every Sit, Stay, Read date listed on the library's July calendar showed registration full with a waitlist.
School outreach. In May, Team Katja made three visits to Father Henry and G.H. Dawe schools. More than 450 students met her, learned what a facility dog does, and got what the library describes as moments of calm and reading encouragement. Schools and organizations can apply for a visit through the library.
Cancer support. In partnership with Wellspring Alberta, Katja provides company during Red Deer Cancer Connect sessions at the Dawe branch.
Exam support and special events. The library has also used her to help middle and high school students manage stress during exam weeks, and hosts occasional public events where people can simply meet her.
Why reading to a dog works
The library's own explanation is the clearest one available.
A dog doesn't correct pronunciation, doesn't sigh, and doesn't look at the clock. For a child who has been stumbling in front of a classroom, that absence of judgment is the entire point. Kids feel safe sitting with her. Reading to a dog raises confidence in struggling readers and gives them a sense of pride.
There's also a role reversal in it. A child turning the book toward Katja and reading aloud is playing teacher rather than student, which is a position struggling readers rarely occupy.
Tatiana Tilly, the library's strategic planning and community engagement manager and one of Katja's two handlers, was skeptical when dogs first started coming into the library years ago. She isn't anymore.
"There is some magic that happens when kids read to a dog," she said.
Tilly has also described a session where a child was upset and she asked whether she wanted a hug from Katja. The child did. Katja comforted her.
The library notes that for a child who has recently lost a family member or a pet, reading to a dog can bring comfort on its own terms.
What a facility dog is, and isn't
Facility service dogs work in settings including courthouses, child protection centres and schools, handled by trained on-site staff. They go through basic obedience training plus specific commands built around what the organization needs.
That's different from a therapy dog visiting with a volunteer, and different again from a service dog assisting one individual.
The distinction is why Katja changed things at Red Deer Public Library. The library ran dog reading programs for years before her, including Reading Tails with St. John Ambulance, Sit, Stay, Read with Isha, a semi-retired autism service dog, and visits from Central Alberta Humane Society handlers. Demand always exceeded what volunteers could cover.
A staff dog can be scheduled. Programs can be planned around her, across every branch, consistently.
How to book a session
Sit, Stay, Read sessions are listed on the library's events calendar at rdpl.org/events, and registration is required.
Book early. Full sessions with waitlists have been the pattern.
Schools and organizations wanting an outreach visit can apply through the library's Katja page at rdpl.org/katja.
Katja also has her own Instagram account, which the library set up during her training.
Her schedule
She takes breaks. The spring Sit, Stay, Read session wrapped in late May, and she stepped back from regular programming to do outreach visits through June.
That's by design. She's a working dog on a schedule, not a permanent fixture in a lobby.
Sources
Meet Katja — Red Deer Public Library
Events calendar — Red Deer Public Library
Monthly Highlights, May 2026 — Red Deer Public Library
Aspen Service Dogs, Alberta Government Qualified Service Dog Organization
Comments from Tatiana Tilly as reported by the Red Deer Advocate
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