Spread the love
Post Views: 3
Certified therapy dog, Surf Dog Ricochet is finding it difficult to sit back and do nothing to calm fears, anxiety and other emotions during this coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic.

As such, she is finding ways to provide comfort from a distance, including the re-circulation of her inspirational viral video, From Service dog to SURFice dog that currently has 6.6 million views on YouTube.

In every other crisis, therapy dogs are called upon to provide comfort and healing. But, due to social distancing and quarantine, animal assisted therapy programs have been suspended. “At a time where dogs could be a great valuable resource, we are thinking outside the box in an effort to provide some form of canine therapy to the millions of people around the world who need it”, said Judy Fridono, Ricochet’s guardian and Executive Director of the non-profit, Puppy Prodigies that Ricochet is part of.

Studies have shown that animals offer emotional and physical benefits to humans while providing a positive influence and calming effect to the individuals they interact with. Puppy Prodigies is rooted in the human-canine bond and dedicated to helping individuals grow in mind, body and spirit through the unconditional love and acceptance only a dog can provide.

Each person who watches the video finds an individual message that touches them on many levels, bringing them to tears. It’s a story about what we all want — to be encouraged to discover who we really are… to be accepted… to find our life purpose… and to be celebrated for being different.
It shows how Ricochet pioneered the concept of canine-assisted surf therapy and adaptive surfing in 2009, when she made an independent decision to jump on a surfboard with Patrick Ivison, a 14 year old boy who is quadriplegic. Since then, she’s surfed with hundreds of kids with special needs, people with different abilities, wounded warriors and veterans with PTSD.
Ricochet is also a certified goal-directed therapy dog who heals, empowers, enhances and improves the quality of life for individuals with physical, cognitive, or emotional disabilities. In addition, she is actively involved in saving the lives of the 22 veterans a day that take their life by suicide. She balances boards, and lives!
Please help us inspire more people around the world by sharing this video. And, if you’re not already following Ricochet on social media, please do at @SurfDogRicochet