An 11-year-old read 100 hours to shelter animals

Nehemiah Turner has read to shelter animals for 100 hours over two years, making him the first child in the history of the Jacksonville Humane Society's Pawsitive Reading program to reach the mark. The 11-year-old started when his grandmother brought him in to volunteer, drawn by a simple preference for dogs. "100 hours read here at the shelter is such an amazing accomplishment over two years. That's some serious, serious dedication for a young person like Nehemiah," CEO Lawrence Nicholas told Action News Jax. The program pairs kids with animals who need a calm voice, no tablets involved. "This is a place where we can put the tablet and the electronics down, pick up a good old-fashioned book, and read to somebody who really wants to hear your voice," Nicholas said. Nehemiah, a straight-A student heading into sixth grade, has already done the math on what comes after 100. He is aiming for 200.