SURFice Dog Ricochet Appears on Television
Published January 23, 2012
Courtesy of Judy Fridono
Surf Dog Ricochet, a Golden Retriever heralded for surfing with people who have disabilities, is set to appear on television on a show on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
SURFice dog Ricochet, an amazing Golden Retriever who was recently named “Dog of the Year” by the ASPCA for her charitable works, will be making a television appearance on the premiere episode of “Beyond Belief”, airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network on Tuesday, January 23 at 10:00 PM ET. The program, hosted by the New York Times best-selling author and Army combat veteran We Moore, showcases heartwarming stories of the miraculous or unexplainable.
During Ricochet’s appearance, some of the causes that will be highlighted include her support of Patrick, an inspirational Pit Bull, and the heart-warming story about her healing work and relationship with Ian McFarland, a young boy who suffered a serious brain injury.
While Ricochet spends a great deal of time weaving her magic touch working with those with special needs (she is the only dog that surfs with folks who are disabled) high on her list of priorities is sending a message to children about how important it is to love themselves.
By staying true to their feelings, reaching out to help others and carefully weighing expectations placed on them (with which they may not necessarily agree), self-confidence grows. Of course, Ricochet always speaks from her heart through her own personal experience.
Ricochet’s “mom”, Judy Fridono, had plans for her amazing dog to be a service dog, so undertook training her in that capacity. But being a strong-minded pooch with greatly different aspirations for her future (which included chasing birds, swimming in the ocean and having fun), her career path took a totally different direction, which has culminated in her current charitable work surfing with the disabled. Truly, she is a very dynamic dog that shoots from the hip.
To help Ricochet spread her message, Judy created a special video (uploaded to YouTube by docchat) highlighting this incredible canine teacher’s philosophy. And since Ricochet is totally non-judgmental, its subtle, but important themes easily reach both children and adults, reminding them to embrace themselves just the way they are.
Are you as eager as I am to see Ricochet and hear her message tomorrow night on “Beyond Belief”? Let us know in a comment.
Shortly after retiring as a social worker and psychotherapist, I discovered my "writer's voice"…
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Comments (3)
Thank you for sharing. I will plan to watch tonight. I have heard of Ricochet and have been following her story.
Every animal has that "Spark" inside them. We are the dumb ones that fail to see it. This is a remarkable dog that let her SPARK burn brighter.
Most all of us think that our pets are very special, and they are. But every now and then there comes along a very special creature with talent that is almost overwhelming. Ricochet is certainly one of these. It is so heartwarming to see an animal that brings such smiles, and helps others the way she does. I hope she lives a long and healthy life and continues to bring her talent to others.