OBLONG, Ill. (WTHI) - On a Monday morning at oblong elementary or junior high you'll probably see a large group of students. At the center of that group you'll most likely find Indy.

Indy's owner Kim Harmon says, "It's wonderful. It really gives us a purpose. And the children just love seeing him as you've probably seen. It just brightens my heart just as much as it does brighten their day."

Harmon takes Indy through the halls. The 2-year-old king Charles spaniel became certified as a therapy dog at 18 months old.

District superintendent Jeff Patchett hopes Indy will help get students ready for class. He says students in this small town all have their own needs.

Patchett explains, "If we can help them have a great day. That makes a better learning environment for them. It also helps teach them some skills to help them in the future."

One of the students Indy is helping is eighth-grader Ava Manuel.

Manuel says "It's very cute and I think it makes everyone happy. And it's a great way to make people happy on a Monday."

Making those kids happy is exactly what Harmon hopes to do.

Harmon says, "To give back to the children who just need a little extra boost. To let them know that kindness is important and that they are important. And if we can do that with just the two or three minutes a day that we see them, then that's everything isn't it?"