Juniper's Story

Juniper Simonis has complex post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Juniper is a data scientist, an ecologist, and a progressive activist. Juniper has been regularly attending the protests in Portland with a service dog, Wallace, since June. In July, Juniper was in downtown Portland marking the property line with surveyor’s chalk in the hope that it would prevent fellow protesters from inadvertently trespassing and risking arrest by federal officers. While Juniper chalked the property line, DHS agents grabbed Wallace so violently that he defecated and Juniper was pepper sprayed at point blank range and placed into handcuffs. Juniper was then taken into custody for hours without Wallace and without medical or mental health assistance despite being in the midst of a panic attack and covered with mace.