Ricochet the Therapy Dog

By Kate Hassett

Image: Pawmazing.com
Image: Pawmazing.com
Ricochet the service dog is helping people with disabilities heal, one wave at a time.

When Ricochet was born, her owner was desperate for her to be a service dog. The incredible difference that pet therapy can make, to those who suffer with everything from depression, to PTSD, is insurmountable. So when Ricochet first jumped into the surf with 14 year old, Patrick Ivison – a quadriplegic, her fate was sealed.

Ever since then, Judy Fridono realised, that Ricochet’s path was going to be different from those of the other puppies she had trained.

surfing-dog-1

For the last six years, Ricochet has been helping those with disabilities overcome obstacles in the most beautiful way.

“Because I nurtured her natural tendencies, she has developed an extraordinarily powerful ability to make immediate, deep, heart-to-heart connections with the individuals she interacts with. She intuitively and empathically alerts to their emotional and physical changes which allows for profound paws-on healing interventions. As a result, she balances boards… and balances lives!” said owner and trainer, Fridono.

Dogs, like other therapy pets, have an incredibly sensitive emotional response to people they interact with. These senses allow them to mirror the emotional needs of the patient they are caring for and respond accordingly.

Ricochet has helped countless people find their feet (and their sea legs) again. She has helped a boy overcome his fear of water after loosing both his parents, helped service members find peace after PTSD, and transformed the life of a boy with a spinal cord injury – eventually helping him to walk at his high school graduation.

She has helped to change the lives of countless people who would otherwise have not been able to move beyond whatever was holding them back.

To read more about this beautiful story visit the SURFice Dog website or follow her adventures on Instagram here.

 

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