At Red Deer Public Library, some young readers have a particularly attentive audience waiting for them. She does not correct missed words, hurry anyone through a sentence or mind if they need to start again. She simply settles in beside them and listens.
Her name is Katja, a CKC-registered chocolate Labrador Retriever and Alberta’s first library facility service dog.
Since completing her final assessment in October 2023, Katja has become an important part of daily life at Red Deer Public Library (RDPL). She listens as children practice reading, joins school and community visits, supports stress-relief activities and helps make the library feel welcoming to people of all ages.
Katja’s journey with the library began before she had completed her training. In August 2021, RDPL Strategic Planning and Engagement Manager Tatiana Tilly became Katja’s volunteer puppy raiser through Aspen Service Dogs.
Katja initially entered Aspen’s fully trained program. As the connection between Katja, Tatiana and the library grew, Tatiana began to see another possibility for her future.
“I fell in love with Katja and approached our CEO, Shelly Ross, about the possibility of training Katja as a facility service dog for the library,” Tatiana said.
With support from the library and Aspen Service Dogs, Katja transferred into Aspen’s Owner Trained Program. Tatiana trained alongside her, and fellow RDPL team member Karen Drok later joined them as Katja’s co-handler.
The program follows a structured two-year path in which dogs and their handlers develop their skills and working relationship together. Training includes foundational skills, experience working in public and individualized tasks based on the needs of each team.
Aspen Service Dogs CEO Caelan Snow explained that a dog working in a public environment needs much more than basic obedience. Libraries can include children moving quickly, rolling carts, doors opening, unexpected sounds, groups gathering and many people hoping to say hello.
Dogs must learn to remain calm, focused and responsive while navigating those experiences. For a facility dog like Katja, training also encourages her to settle quietly beside a child reading or someone who needs a little extra comfort.
“Successful facility dogs need to genuinely enjoy people, be happy settling and providing a calm and comforting presence, and also be confident and adaptable to a changing environment,” Caelan said.
Training also prepared Tatiana and Karen to understand their working partner. They learned to recognize when Katja is engaged, when an environment is becoming too stimulating and when she needs a break.
Public libraries have grown into community spaces where people can learn, connect, find support and feel that they belong. After seeing the benefits of volunteer therapy dogs in previous reading programs, RDPL recognized that a dedicated facility service dog could help create an even more welcoming, low-pressure environment.
Katja’s core program, Sit, Stay, Read, gives children in Grades 1 to 5 an opportunity to read with her individually. She settles onto her reading couch while each child reads aloud, usually with plenty of cuddles included.
“There is something wonderfully non-judgmental about a dog,” the RDPL team shared. “Katja does not care how quickly somebody reads, whether they stumble over a word or need to start a sentence again. She is simply happy to sit beside them.”
That accepting presence can change how a child experiences reading. Instead of worrying about making a mistake, young readers can focus on sharing a story with a patient friend.
The results are reflected in both the numbers and the individual moments. Since 2024, children have completed 361 reading sessions with Katja and read her 1,135 books. In 2026 alone, she has also participated in at least eight school and childcare visits, in addition to library outreach and larger community events.
For Katja’s handlers, however, the smaller moments often say the most.
Tatiana remembers a parent sharing that her daughter had read more books during one visit with Katja than she ever had in a single sitting. Another young reader arrived with her own beloved “mini Katja.” After reading several books, she simply wanted time to sit and cuddle with the real Katja beside her.
“A child had connected reading, the library and a feeling of comfort and happiness together,” Tatiana said. “I think that is something she will remember.”
Although Katja’s role was originally centered on literacy and connection inside the library, it quickly expanded.
She now works across RDPL branches and has developed a following of regular readers. She participates in school and childcare visits, story times, community events, stress-relief activities and special library programs. She has even served as a “living book” in a Human Library and represented RDPL in the annual Westerner Days Parade.
Katja also helps begin conversations. At a community event, someone who might otherwise pass a library information table may stop when they see her. A visit with Katja can naturally lead to a conversation about the library’s programs and services.
Her growing role is carefully balanced with her wellbeing. Katja usually works at the library two or three days each week, with breaks, a midday walk and quiet time built into her schedule. Between appointments, she returns to a pillow beneath Tatiana’s desk, where she knows she can switch off and nap.
“Knowing how to relax is just as important for a facility dog as knowing how to work,” Tatiana explained.
The library also considers the comfort of everyone who uses its spaces. Signs let visitors know when Katja is in the building, helping people with allergies, fears or other considerations make informed choices. Interactions are never forced, for Katja or for library visitors.
Away from work, Tatiana says Katja is “very much a Labrador.”
She loves walks, swimming, meeting dog friends and spending time with her older dog sister. She enjoys car rides, especially when she can watch the world pass by through the window, and she is happiest cuddled between her people on the couch.
That balance between enthusiastic working partner and relaxed family companion is part of what makes Katja so well suited to her role. Her training gave her the skills to work successfully in a busy public environment, but it is her connection with people, supported by handlers who understand her needs, that allows her to thrive.
From reading alongside children to representing the library throughout Red Deer, Katja is helping people connect with books, their community and one another. Sometimes, all it takes to make reading feel a little less intimidating is a comfortable couch and a Labrador ready to listen.
Follow Katja’s adventures on Instagram at @katjardplfacilitydog or learn more about her work through the Red Deer Public Library.