Category: Awesome Stories

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Surfing Dog Gets Inducted Into Surfer’s Hall Of Fame In California

Sugar the Surfing Dog makes history by becoming the first dog to be inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, California on Thursday, December 05.

NBC Bay Area reports that Sugar’s paw prints were immortalized in concrete alongside hooman surfing legends.

Before making history, the 14-year-old surfing dog had a rough start in life. As a puppy, she was abandoned on the side of the road in Oakland, California.

But Sugar was destined to for greatness in life. In 2011, while on vacation, Huntington Beach surfer Ryan Rustan found the pooch, and took her in.

During this time, Rustan was working through his drug addiction recovery, which the pooch helped him through.

You could say that they saved each other’s life and were meant to meet in that fateful day in 2011.

Rustan even credits the pooch with providing comfort and motivation during his recovery.  

“Some of the most amazing moments of my life [were] with her,” he said in an interview earlier this year.  

Today, Sugar is a 5-time World Dog Surf Champion, 5-time HB Surf City Dog Champion, Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge title, and a Surfers’ Hall of Fame Inductee.

In an Instagram post on Sugar’s official account, Rustan wrote, “This is something I never imagined in my wildest dreams. It was so beautiful.”

“A true legend who inspired us all with her big-wave bravery and shortboard skills. Congrats, Sugar—you’ve earned your spot in surf’s highest honor,” the Surf Dog Events wrote in an Instagram post.

Aside from surfing, Sugar is also a therapy dog and does surf therapy for a lot of kids, Rustan reveals.

“It’s not just about surfing against people but also putting smiles on the little kids’ faces and the athletes that are disabled. She gets to ride with them.”

The Surfers’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony, according to its website, “pays tribute to those individuals who have made an indelible mark on the sport, industry, and culture of surfing.”

By inducting Sugar the surfing dog, they are recognizing the impact that the pooch has made on the sport, and on people’s lives.

Lisa Scolman, organizer of the Surf City Surf Dog event, tells NBC Bay Area, “I always dreamed of having a dog in the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, and no duo is more deserving than Ryan and Sugar.”

“Because of her, we started a shredder division, and dogs from around the world came to surf. Everyone wanted to compete against Sugar and Ryan.”

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Colorado Community Steps Up And Replaces Senior Dog’s Stolen Wheelchair

A Colorado woman is thankful for her community after they came together to replace her senior dog’s stolen wheelchair.

In an interview with CBS News on November 18, Megan Caligiuri of Englewood reveals how her senior’s dog wheelchair got stolen and how her community responded to the theft.

Caligiuri said that she has owned a rescued Schnauzer mix, named Griff, for almost 15 years. According to her, she and her dog have always been active – they travel the country and go on 10-mile hikes.

Naturally, as Griff got older, the trips became shorter.

And while Griff is a little bit energetic for his age, he can no longer walk without assistance.

So, in order to still be able to take Griff on adventures (no matter how short they are), Caligiuri bought him a dog wheelchair that helps with the pooch’s weakened hind legs.

The wheelchair was a game changer for Griff, Caligiuri said. “Someone saw him trucking around in the snow and was like, ‘He’s such an inspiration!”

However, on the night of November 18, someone sadly stole the senior pooch’s wheels.

Caligiuri explained, “I take them off after every walk. I leave them outside because they’re dirty. He rolls around through stuff.”

“The next morning, he’s pretty jazzed for his next walk. I go outside and they’re gone. I have no faith left in humanity that someone would steal a disabled dog’s wheelchair,” Caligiuri said.

After the robbery, Caligiuri filed a police report and posted about it on the neighborhood social app, Nextdoor, hoping someone can help her find her dog’s missing wheels.

Even though they’re small, dog wheelchairs are not affordable. So, Caligiuri wanted to get back her dog’s wheels.

However, what Caligiuri didn’t expect was the reaction from her community when they saw her post.

“Over 80 people responded, offering donations, resources, and support,” Caligiuri reveals after saying that it was heartwarming to see that much compassion.

She also reveals, “Someone said they saw a guy on a bike, with what looked like the wheels, serving as a trailer.”

Now, the news of Griff’s stolen wheelchair has spread across the community.

And that’s how Kathryn Groenewold with Paw Prosper, the parent company of Walkin’ Pets, found out.

Walkin’ Pets is a company that offers wheelchairs and support products to improve pet mobility. And Groenewold said the story of Griff’s stolen wheelchair left her team heartbroken.

So, Groenewold and her team got to work and hand-delivered Griff’s brand new wheels on Thursday, November 21.

“Our team works very hard to make sure that each chair is perfectly fitting for the dog,” said Groenewold.

“We hope that Griff and Megan are going to be able to enjoy more good days together as a result.”

Now, Caligiuri and Griff can continue on with their adventures and enjoy their walks thanks to the kindness of their community.

Caligiuri tells CBS News, “I feel so overwhelmed by the kindness of people. This is how he gets around and how he enjoys life and experiences life.”

“My faith in humanity has been restored. Thank you, everyone, so much.”

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Russian Dog Dubbed As ‘Hachiko 2.0’, Found Sitting Beside Frozen River Waiting For Dead Owner’s Return

Time and time again, dogs prove to us why they are called “Man’s Best Friend”.

And in another display of dogs’ unwavering loyalty, a Russian dog was recently found patiently sitting beside a frozen river where her owner tragically met his end, waiting for him to come back.

RT on X (previously Twitter) shared a video of the dog, named Belka, and how she refused to leave the site where her owner died.

Belka’s owner, a 59-year-old man, was reportedly riding his bicycle in Russia’s frozen Ufa River on November 24 when the tragic incident happened.

He fell into the freezing water when the brittle ice beneath him suddenly gave away.

The Sun reports that a Good Samaritan tried to save him, but the river’s strong currents were no match for him.

The Good Samaritan reportedly nearly lost his own life trying to save Belka’s owner, and was found suffering with severe frostbite.

A multi-day search was launched to find Belka’s owner, and rescue crew were able to locate the man’s bicycle, and later his body, in the Ufa River downstream.

Kirill Pervov, head of the rescue service in Bashkiria, told The Sun, “During the search, the rescue team used an air cushion boat with a hooking device to survey the river bottom.”

“Search work was complicated by difficult conditions – a strong current and unstable ice crust.”

Ever since the incident, Belka has been waiting for her owner to come home. The pooch can be found sitting on the ice, day and night, even while rescue operations were underway.

RT reveals that even though the man’s family took Belka to their home, the loyal pooch kept coming back to the same spot where she lost her owner.

The Russian dog’s loyalty has been compared to the legendary Japanese Akita dog, Hachiko, who famously waited at the Shibuya Station in Japan for his owner, Hidesaburō Ueno, to return for almost 10 years.