Ricochet the surf therapy dog dies after life of ‘triumph’ helping others, owner says
Ricochet, a golden retriever from California, discovered her life’s purpose in 2009.
Surf Dog Ricochet, as she would become known, was supposed to surf on her board while riding the same wave as Patrick Ivison, a 14-year-old quadriplegic adaptive surfer, according to the website for the nonprofit set up in Ricochet’s name.
Ricochet, however, had her own idea — she jumped from her board onto Patrick’s, marking her first time tandem surfing, an encounter that has garnered millions of views on YouTube, the nonprofit said.
Soon, Ricochet of Escondido made history as a surfing therapy dog, ultimately becoming the canine ambassador for surfers with disabilities, the nonprofit said.
After years of helping others, Ricochet died at age 15 on Friday, March 31, owner Judy Fridono said in a Facebook post on April 1.
“My heart is full of sadness and gratitude,” Fridono wrote. “Sad because Ricochet is physically gone, and grateful for the long and ... (triumphant) life she lived to the fullest, helping millions along the way.”
Ricochet was diagnosed with liver cancer in August, according to a Surf Dog Ricochet Facebook post.
Fridono said she took Ricochet to an emergency room on Friday, March 31, after seeing her in pain with “tremors throughout her body.”
“Ricochet took her first breath in my hand when she was born,” Fridono wrote, “and she took her last breath in my hand yesterday.”
In addition to being a surfing therapy dog, Ricochet also competed in surf competitions with other dogs, the nonprofit said.
As a “novice” at 15 months old, she placed third in the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Surfing Dogs Competition in 2009, the nonprofit said.
She went on to compete “for several years” in various competitions, typically placing as one of the top three competitors, according to the nonprofit.
Through her work both as a surfing therapy dog and therapy dog, Ricochet touched the lives of many, including children with special needs and military service members with PTSD, the nonprofit said.
Ricochet also helped raise “more than $1 million ... for over 250 different human and animal causes,” according to the nonprofit.
Fridono said she plans to continue Ricochet’s work, according to an April 2 Facebook post.
“Her legacy is too powerful to think that her mission won’t continue,” Fridono wrote. “I just don’t know what that looks like yet.”
Escondido is about 30 miles north of San Diego.
This story was originally published April 3, 2023 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Ricochet the surf therapy dog dies after life of ‘triumph’ helping others, owner says."
