Some area kindergarten students are getting a helping paw with their reading.

A local therapy dog made a special visit to Hawthorn Hills Elementary School in Wausau today.

For the past four years 'Snoopy,' a 6-year-old Cocker Spaniel, has been traveling across Central Wisconsin spreading joy to people in nursing homes, schools and libraries as a certified therapy dog.

But today's trip was no ordinary visit.

"Snoopy is celebrating his 350th visit today at kindergarten. He likes kindergarten the best because they have crayons which he will pick up and eat if they drop them," says Marty Heidner, Snoopy's owner.

"This is a big deal in therapy dog certification. You record each visit and they get special rewards for the number of visits they complete," says Connie Dobbratz, a teacher at Hawthorn Hills.

Therapy Dogs International awarded Snoopy the Exceptional Volunteer Achievement Award for his 350 visits.

While in class, Snoopy and his friend Sadie sat with each students and listened while they read to them.

"They encourage the children. They'll sit right next to the child and when the child is reading to the dogs they don't get so hung up on whether their saying the words correctly. They just do their best because they're reading to the dogs," says Dobbratz.

"That's the wonderful thing about our dogs. They are non-judgmental. No matter where we go they don't care what we look like, what we do or don't have. They're just glad to be with people," says Heidner.

Snoopy visits the elementary school twice a month to see the class.