Violet and Joaquin

JOAQUIN is a local therapy dog. He was imported from Sweden, but his hips were bad, and Violet was there when he needed a home. Right away, she realized that Joaquin loved people of all ages and sizes. It had been her dream to train a German Shepherd as a therapy dog to share unconditional love with people who were not able to have a dog of their own. JOAQUIN fit the bill. He now participates in children’s reading programs, visits local convalescent homes, and is a certified Disaster Stress Relief dog serving the Western U.S. 


When Violet and her dog family were evacuated during the King Fire, she knew she could help. Not only did she and JOAQUIN comfort fellow evacuees, they visited the Incident Command Post at Base Camp, where they were given access to the Chiefs fighting the fire behind the scenes. Violet described the tension as ‘so thick you could cut it with a knife’, but when the people there saw JOAQUIN, they would ‘just melt, and hug him’. JOAQUIN did a good job bringing joy to those working under extreme stress, and Violet is proud of him. She believes he is a perfect gift to her and others in need of it.

And yes, Violet’s house was saved by the firefighters.