As a follow-up story to our recent write-up on the Loews Surf Dog competition, here is a feature on a 2010 winner: Ricochet.

Ricochet is a service dog (or as she is now affectionately known, a “SURFice” dog) who uses her skills as a surf dog to assist the disabled community, through Puppy Prodigies, a 501(3) non profit organization that trains service dogs. Ricochet won 1st place at the 2010 Loews Surf Dog Competition in the tandem division with her littermate, Kalani.

An internationally renowned, award winning surf dog, Ricochet has become an inspirational phenomenon because of her unique, and highly skilled background of service/therapy/surf dog training. She is the only known dog in the world who surfs with disabled surfers and special needs kids for therapeutic purposes.

Ricochet has been awarded several top fundraiser awards, and a top dog awards too, like “pet of the year”, “most charitable dog”, and “dog of the year.” Last year, Ricochet won the prestigious 2010 American Kennel Club award for canine excellence in the category of exemplary companion, an award that only 5 dogs per year win.

Ricochet’s inspirational YouTube video, “From Service Dog to SURFice dog” went viral with more than 3.4 million views, and touches people on many different levels, which has helped her raise almost $90,000 over the last 18 months for her causes, including adaptive surfers, special needs kids, K9 cancer, and animal rescue/shelters.

For more information on Ricochet and her surfing causes, check out. http://www.surfdogricochet.com/