Children invited to ‘Huey’s Heroes’ reading program

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Tracy Lystra is dedicated to bringing awareness to the brutality of dog fighting and other forms of animal abuses. Her mission is to educate the public of the atrocities that these animals endure on a daily basis. “It is our hope that through teamwork and unwavering loyalty to these innocent victims that one day we will be able to end this vicious blood sport and abuse,” she says.

Huey was terribly injured when Tracy Lystra found him in a rural part of Moreno Valley in December 2014. Today, Huey is doing much better but he still suffers from separation anxiety and has nightmares. Photo provided by Hueys Heroes.

In her effort to bring awareness to her cause and to the over-population in local animal shelters, Tracy started the “Hueys Heroes” reading program in October 2015. Hueys Heroes is a reading program designed to help readers improve their reading skills while reading books to animals at the shelter. The goals of the program are to help kids become stronger readers while fostering a love and understanding for animals, provide a calm, nurturing presence for shelter animals, assist young adults in fulfilling community service hours through volunteering and to raise awareness of over-population in local animal shelters.

Tracy says current research shows that the opportunity to interact a minimum of ten minutes daily with a familiar human aside from the caretaker greatly reduces the stress level of a shelter animal.

Tracy has been a foster parent to many animals over the years, especially to senior dogs. She named the Huey’s Heroes program after her adopted pit bull, Huey, who was used as a bait dog and was near death when he was found in a rural part of Moreno Valley in December 2014.

“He was extremely malnourished and weak, his liver was hard from lack of nutrition. His ears were infected and his nose was covered in scabs and fresh wounds, one so deep that it had pierced his nasal cavity. His bottom jaw was mangled beyond repair and pieces of his bottom lip were missing. His rear end had raw spots from sitting in a cage, and his legs were bowed due to lack of exercise,” Tracy says.

Today, Huey is doing much better but he still has a long road ahead. Huey still suffers from separation anxiety and has nightmares. “It’s heart-wrenching to hear his cries and watch him shake,” says Tracy. She is still working on clearing up his infections, and the vet has mentioned the possibility of jaw surgery.

Huey has participated in two training camps, and is well on his way to becoming an ambassador for his breed and for recovering fighting dogs. Huey has been featured on CNN, KTLA and ABC News, and in “The Huffington Post,” “Life with Dogs” and “People” magazine, to name a few. He also has his own Saving Huey Facebook page with over 57,000 followers. It is our hope that by sharing Huey’s story we can further educate the world on the atrocities that these dogs endure on a daily basis,” says Tracy.

Kids of all ages are invited to participate in the Huey’s Heroes reading program on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Animal Friends of the Valleys at 33751 Mission Trail in Wildomar. The shelter serves Canyon Lake and the surrounding areas.

Non-readers also are encouraged to participate in the program. Some participants just sit and talk to the animals while others, especially those too young to know how to read, sing songs to comfort the animals.

Tracy requests that participants contact her to schedule a reading time due to the fact that space is limited to 20 readers per half hour. Participants should bring a book and a blanket or pillow to sit on during their visits with the animals. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.

The kids in the program are offered free pencils and Huey’s Heroes bracelets at the sign-in table where they pick up their name badge. Goodie bags and gift cards also are rewarded based on the level of participant. Although food donations are not a requirement to participate in the program, Huey’s Heroes T-shirts are given to participants who donate five or more cans of dog food.

Currently, Huey and Tracy are on a mission to raise money to purchase blankets and elevated beds for shelter animals so they don’t have to sleep on the cold concrete floor. “We visit numerous shelters each week, and receive hundreds of photos of animals stuck in shelters. We speak with directors and shelter staff and most seem to have the same concern, keeping the animals warm in the winter. Blanket donations are always needed and appreciated, but washing machines can’t keep up with the shelter’s demand for clean blankets when they are used as beds,” says Tracy.  Those who would like to make a donation towards this cause are invited to visit gofundme.com/x9cdr3m8.

To reserve a reading time in the Huey’s Heroes program, send a request to savinghuey@gmail.com. To learn more about the Huey’s Heroes program, visit savinghuey.com. If you suspect dog fighting, call the Humane Society Dog Fighting Hotline at 877-847-4787. All calls remain anonymous and callers could receive a reward up to $5,000 if the tip leads to an arrest.