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Not every dog has a mission the moment she is born, but Ricochet did. She was born into the “Puppy Prodigies Neo-natal & Early Learning Program” with the intentions of becoming a service dog for a person with a disability.
Incredibly smart, Ricochet advanced through her training with ease.
But, she had one tiny flaw…her love for chasing birds, which could be a risk to a person with a disability. They made the decision to withdraw her from the program.
So what does a dog who was born with a mission do when it’s deemed she would not complete that mission?
Find a NEW mission of course.
They had discovered she could surf and she had a natural talent for making heart-to-heart connections with those she met.
So, instead of helping one person, she is helping millions, as Surf Dog Ricochet – the only SURFice dog® on the planet that provides assistance, therapy, interaction and surfs with people with disabilities, kids with special needs, wounded warriors and veterans with PTSD.
Ricochet with Patrick – she kept the board balanced the entire time. Image source: Surf Dog Ricochet
She balances boards and lives, her owner says.
What makes her special is that “she intuitively and empathically alerts to their emotional and physical needs which allows for profound paws-on healing interventions.”
Ricochet with Sabine, who was born without both arms. Image source: Surf Dog Ricochet
She is also a certified, registered and AKC titled therapy dog, an American Humane Association hero dog, and ASPCA dog of the year. She lives a lifestyle of helping others by “pawing it forward” while raising awareness and funds for human animal causes… almost $400,000 so far.
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SURFice Dog Ricochet has surfed around the world, giving those with a range of disabilities by being herself.
Her owner recently published a book about her work, called “Ricochet: Riding a Wave of Hope with the Dog Who Inspires Millions.”
This summer, Ricochet is attending the Autism Society San Diego surf camps to surf and interact with the kids. In addition, she will be surfing with two sisters who have the same life threatening illness. Ricochet just finished fundraising for them in order to fly them from Colorado to San Diego.
Image source: Surf Dog Ricochet
She continues to work hard doing what she was meant to do – we would definitely say she found the right mission in life, even if it wasn’t the one she was “born to do.” But in a way it is – she was born to help and she is doing just exactly that.
You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.