Tatiana Sokolik with her dog, Venkman and another cuddle buddy

Tatiana Sokolik, Volunteer with Divine Canines.

Divine Canines was formed in 2004 by a group of dog lovers who wanted to share the unconditional love of dogs with people in special needs facilities in Central Texas. We began with five dog-and-handler teams, one large client – the Austin State Hospital – and a professional dog trainer who generously donated his time.

Tatiana has been a volunteer with Divine Canines for nearly two years, sharing the joy of therapy dog work with her two certified dogs—Venkman (9) and Spengler (3). Together, they love bringing comfort and connection to those living in facilities for people with special needs. She is especially proud to share this experience with her almost 15-year-old, who is also a therapy dog handler and joins her as a volunteer whenever he can.

Professionally, Tatiana works for the nonprofit Wonders & Worries and is also an adjunct professor at Austin Community College.