The Moose Jaw Humane Society and the Summer Success program teamed up at the beginning of the month to bring kids and kittens together for a fun afternoon of reading.

Summer Success helps keep kids engaged in reading over the summertime, making sure they retain some of the skills they learned during the school year instead of letting them slide away during the vacation.

To do a little of a celebration, the program took the kids to the Humane Society on a Wednesday afternoon when it was closed. The staff at the society let the kittens out with the kids, ensuring a fun afternoon of reading and playing with the cats.

"Well it's always awesome when you can mix kids and pets, that's a win-win for everybody," Interim Executive Director at the Humane Society Dana Haukaas said. "Reading is so important and sometimes it's really difficult to get kids to stay interested in reading and that's just during the school year so imagine how hard it is to keep that incentive going when it's summertime and it's hot outside."

This is the second year that Summer Success came to read with the kittens and all the kids loved it. The Humane Society also enjoyed it, and Haukaas said it gives them a chance to connect with the community as well.

"We always are reaching out to the community and the community reaches out to us as well and whenever possible we like to work with community organizations and groups and students are a big part of the Moose Jaw Humane Society."

With so many people volunteering and wanting to partner with the Human Society, they actually had to create a calendar just for the exact thing. Just to make sure they don't double book event and make sure they have enough work for volunteers when they come.