Reading is the least of Dylan Blount’s worries.

“He started reading at an early age,” his mother, Adele Greene, said Wednesday during her 5-year-old son’s second session with Leah Brewer and her therapy dog, Elle, at the Roanoke Rapids Public Library. “He began to recognize letters since he was 1. As a baby I read to him. I knew he could understand because he was laughing at the funny parts.”

Dylan reads The Cat in the Hat.

Dylan began reading at 2 and since then he has read 645 books and for every hundredth book he reads, he gets a party, his mother said, adding her son is most likely reading on a third or fourth grade level.

So why is a child with advanced reading skills reading to a dog? It’s because he is reading to an animal he is afraid of.

The difference between his first visit with Elle and his second Wednesday has been amazing, his mother and Brewer said.

“I think the dog therapy is building his confidence to be around animals,” his mother said. “He has a major fear of dogs.”

There was never any traumatic experience, he was never bitten and he has read to a therapy dog before, a Lab, in Charlotte.

Still, he was afraid of the dog, so it has nothing to do with the breed. That Elle is an American Pit Bull Terrier is not the problem. “He doesn’t know the stigma attached to it. In his head it could be a toy poodle,” his mother said.

That’s why she believes Brewer’s Tail Wagging Tales is going to help her son. She believes it already has because the difference between the first time he read to Elle last month and his session Wednesday is noticeable.

Dylan insulates himself from Elle during his first session.

In a photo taken by Brewer’s husband, Eric, Dylan uses Brewer as insulation from the dog, Brewer in the middle and Elle on her left side.

Wednesday, Dylan faced the dog and Brewer and at one point the dog’s snout was just a few inches from him.

Dylan managed to gingerly pet Elle’s back but when she turned her head to face him, the youngster backed away and questioned why the dog had to look at him.

Brewer was impressed with Dylan’s courage Wednesday. “It was a milestone that he wanted to get closer to her. He wouldn’t let her get that close the last time.”

Elle rests as Dylan reads.

Dylan admits his fear and believes the program will help him. “I’m just getting over my fears. I already did. I’m getting more comfortable and getting more comfortable reading.”

His mother noticed a difference, too. “I definitely see a difference. The first time he was introduced to Elle he was extremely intimidated. Now he’s not nearly as skittish.”

Dylan is already comfortable reading aloud, noticeable as he read The Cat in the Hat, accentuating the exclamations.

His mother believes, despite her son’s fears, the program is a good thing even for an accomplished reader like Dylan. “It gives him additional practice. I wish more children were involved. He still gets to practice his reading skills.”

Greene wants to see the school systems in the area publicize the program.to help other children with their reading.

She also wants to see it help her son overcome his fears. “His fear is so great but he’s never been bitten. He’s scared of little dogs.”

Wednesday, however, was a good day for Dylan. “He’s a lot more comfortable.”

A family of pet lovers, Greene wants to see the program do something for her son. “I want to see him pet her like a regular person who pets an animal. While he has his phobia, we wouldn’t want to introduce a pet to our house.”

Editor’s note: This is the first of a continuing series documenting the progress Dylan Blount makes overcoming his fear of dogs by reading to Elle, a registered therapy dog, at the Roanoke Rapids Public Library. Dylan’s next session will be January 5. For more information on Tail Wagging Tales contact the library at 252-533-2890.