Sydney is no ordinary dog; adopted four years ago from a no-kill shelter by Thom Battisto and now visiting schools and nursing homes to change lives as a certified therapy dog. This inspired Battisto and a band of volunteers to found Read to Sydney, Inc.; a 501C3 that helps children discover the boundless world of literature by reading to Sydney herself. This maverick canine’s story has now been wrapped up in ‘Sydney Finds a Job’ – an enchanting kid’s book that has even caught the attention of a former First Lady.

Clermont, FL -- (SBWire) -- 12/29/2014 --When Thom Battisto adopted Sydney, his passion for animal welfare quickly led to them empowering their community to rescue abused animals and embrace a vital humane education. Sydney passed her therapy dog accreditation with barking success, and the now inseparable duo began visiting dozens of nursing homes while raising much-needed attention for a myriad of animal welfare issues.

With her tireless passion for human contact, Battisto knew that Sydney had more pent-up potential, which inspired the formation of Read to Sydney, Inc. - a 501C3 non-profit organization with a unique mandate.

Sydney, Battisto and a growing team of volunteers now travel the length and breadth of the region visiting schools and libraries so children can read to Sydney; a strategy that allows youngsters to take a more active role in literacy while absorbing a humane education. The charity's latest success is the release of 'Sydney Finds a Job' – staring the nation's most inspirational furry friend.

Synopsis:

This is the first in a series of children's books written by the Read to Sydney volunteers.

In Sydney Finds a Job, children follow Sydney as she tries to find a job that's right for her. Through humor, she tries several different jobs that just don't work out, but she finally finds one she loves. Helping children read.

Sydney Finds a Job is more than just a book. Sydney is a real dog with a real job, helping children learn to read. The Australian Sheppard/Chow mix was adopted from a no-kill animal shelter by author Thom Battisto about four years ago.

"Sydney loves nothing more than having children read to her," explains Battisto. "While entertaining Sydney, children are being afforded an incredible opportunity to read in way they never have before. Capturing their attention with these visits allows us to provide a bold education on many humane issues. Everyone leaves happy!"

Continuing, "We've also recently scored a coup – a letter of praise from First Lady Laura Bush. We sent a copy of the book to her and her response was incredible. She said: "Thank you... for your work with the Read to Sydney Foundation and for sharing Sydney with others." We're all so proud with this accolade and I can't thank my volunteers enough for the work they do daily."

Donations collected by the charity, including those from their new book, will help fund reading programs for children and young adults.

Sydney has big plans to expand her reach in the near future and touch as many lives as she can. It just goes to show that anything is 'pawssible'

'Sydney Finds a Job' is available now. For more information, visit the non-profit's official website: http://readtosydney.org

About Thom Battisto
Thom is a passionate advocate of animal rights. He has adopted several shelter dogs and has volunteered at a local shelter. Wanting to do even more, Thom and other supporters started the nonprofit organization, Read To Sydney, whose goals are to provide South Lake County with humane education for grade school children, humane education events for the entire family and visits to local nursing homes.