Surf Dog Ricochet Receives Prestigious ACE Award

Congratulations to our pawl Surf Dog Ricochet for being one of five recipients of the 2010 American Kennel Club Award for Canine Excellence (ACE)!

In a press release today, AKC Spokeswoman Lisa Peterson said, “The AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence celebrate what dogs contribute to our lives, and these five exceptional recipients exemplify the heroic acts canines can accomplish. Their inspiring stories serve as an example of the canine-human bond and the impact a single dog can make in a community.”

Ricochet, whose dog mom is Judy Fridono of Escondido, Calif., received the award in the Exemplary Companion Dog category. The other four categories are Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Therapy and Service.

“When Golden Retriever Ricochet was dropped from service dog training due to her distractible nature, owner Judy Fridono decided to focus their efforts on something Ricochet could do – surf!” the press release says. “This wave-loving Golden now surfs for charitable causes, and has raised more than $10,000 for a quadriplegic boy’s rehab as well as funds to purchase toys for 630 children at hospitals and women’s shelters during a Christmas toy drive.”

And that’s not all this pawsome pooch has done this past year. In April she served as ambassador for “Paw It Forward Day” and distributed biscuits to dogs at the Old Town Transit Center in San Diego. In May, she teamed up with i Love Dogs to raise awareness of human and canine arthritis through a “beach dog” photo contest. More recently, Ricochet helped make a brain-injured 2-year-old’s dream come true by raising funds for a $11,000 therapy pool.

Along with the other four honorees, Ricochet will receive a $1,000 cash award and an engraved sterling-silver collar medallion, which will be presented to her at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. Her name will be engraved on a plaque in The American Kennel Club Library in New York City.

Here at i Love Dogs, we’re extremely proud to be longtime “pawls” of the amazing Ricochet. We wish her and Judy many more successful fundraising efforts – and many more well-deserved awards – in the future!

PHOTO: akc.org