Dog Helping Kids
December 28, 2020
When the surf season ends, Ricochet trades her life jacket for a Santa jacket and transforms herself into Surfin’ Santa Paws… turning boards into bucks.
This is Ricochet’s 12th season of Howliday Giving Drives and this year it benefits her Waves of Empowerment Program that helps kids with special needs, adaptive surfers, wounded warriors, and veterans with PTSD.
It will also benefit her PTSD service dog initiative, a black lab puppy named Balboa (Bo) that she’s helping to train for Marine veteran, Staff Sgt. Persons “Griff” Griffith IV. Ricochet worked with Griff as a therapy dog for a couple of years. He’s also in the IMAX film, “Superpower Dogs” with her, which is now showing on Hulu.
As COVID-19 cases spike across the country, millions of families are experiencing high anxiety as they struggle with decisions about the holidays with stay at home orders, restrictions, and other challenges. All these feelings and uncertainty are causing great physical, psychological, and emotional distress.
But Ricochet isn’t letting COVID ruin the holidays. Instead of surfing with kids and veterans like she typically does, she’s offering free Zoom calls with her pawtégé, Bo. There is nothing like the comfort pups can provide during these difficult times… and who can resist a 12-week old puppy.
Ricochet will be 13 in January. She’s healthy, but we know she won’t be with us forever. As such, She’s hoping you’ll help her legacy live on… literally through Bo. The cost of raising and training a puppy to be a service dog is not cheap. In fact, it can run upwards of $25,000.
But, because of Griff’s service to the country and the sacrifices he and his family have made, Ricochet is providing the puppy at no cost to him. This courageous man returned home fighting another debilitating battle… PTSD.
Military recruits go through rigorous training to learn how to fight a war, but nobody teaches them how to come home after experiencing horrific battlefield atrocities. The least Ricochet can do is help Griff continue his healing journey with a service dog. She is committed to helping him in his recovery through the tremendous healing that comes with puppy breath.
The funds raised will cover training, placing, providing support, vet bills, wellness checks, food, treats, bones, supplies, grooming, vaccinations, microchip, shots, license, monthly preventatives, wellness checks, travel, team training, and other miscellaneous expenses.
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