Therapy Dog Comforts Firefighter at Dixie Fire Base Camp

A therapy dog visited firefighters at the Dixie Fire Base Camp in Chico, California, on August 2 to offer moral support to first responders battling the intense blaze.

Heidi Carman recorded this video of Kerith, a golden retriever, and posted it to Twitter. The footage shows a firefighter, overcome with emotion, hugging and petting Kerith. The golden retriever can be seen eagerly wagging her tail and licking the firefighter.

Carman, Kerith’s handler, set up a GoFundMe where she explains that Kerith is a certified crisis response therapy dog who “provides unconditional love and instant stress relief to first responders. She forms bonds with the firefighters by simply being herself: she greets with playful wiggles, adoring eye contact, and makes each person she meets feel important, special, and loved.”

The Dixie fire had reached 253,052 acres (about 395 square miles) on August 3, according to the latest incident report. Credit: @GoldenKerith via Storyful