GEORGETOWN, Texas — Luna is a good girl. She sits, she settles and she naps.
But what the 3-year-old golden retriever does even better is connect with students in ways adults can't.
"She's really good at knowing who needs her. When we go into a classroom, she tends to go to the person she can tell who needs her the most," said Tara Stewart, Luna's owner.
Stewart is also the principal of Georgetown ISD's Successful Transition Education Program, or STEP. The students in STEP are part of Williamson County Juvenile Services, and most are around 14 to 16 years old.
"A high percentage of our kids come from hard places. And they have a lot of anxiety surrounding school," Stewart said.
PHOTOS: Meet Luna, a therapy dog helping Williamson County students
Luna works with students a few days a week by helping them manage stress and depression and by responding to classrooms when a student is upset.
"I think having a dog around just boosts the mood a little bit," one student said.
And administrators are seeing a difference.
"It's a created a connection with students and staff who are with Luna at the same time," said Matt Smith, assistant chief for Williamson County Juvenile Services.
"It's easier to talk to the dog. She doesn't judge you," said Stewart.