A surfing therapy dog named Sugar has inspired thousands with her skills on the waves. But now, the local celebrity pup is looking for help from the community as Sugar battles cancer.
Saturday was the quintessential Southern California day, the sun shining, the Santa Ana winds blowing, and there was "Sugar the Surfer Dog" in a green life vest, gleefully riding the waves on Ryan Rustan’s turquoise board.
She’s done this countless times before. But this time felt different. Over one hundred people came to cheer on the tiny dog with the big heart. They cheered from the sand and waved from the Huntington Beach Pier. The 30-pound mixed breed dog is a celebrity in these parts. Saturday, Sugar got a VIP entrance; she was escorted by Huntington Beach lifeguards to her adoring fans. For Sugar and those who love her, the occasion was bittersweet. Sugar is in the final stages of cancer. So people showed up for what might be her last wave.Since 2011, when Ryan rescued Sugar from the streets of Oakland, where she’d been starved and abused — the two have been inseparable. In a lot of ways, they rescued each other. Ryan has battled to overcome mental health and substance abuse issues. Sugar has been by his side every inch of the way. Thankfully, today he is in recovery.So it was only natural this surfer boy from Huntington Beach would bring Sugar into his world of surfing. And what a ride it’s been! Sugar has won the "Surf City Surf Dog Contest" seven times. She’s the only dog ever allowed to surf the Huntington Beach Pier. And she’s served as an honorary participant in the "Vans U.S. Open of Surfing" six times. Sugar has lost weight; these days it’s hard for her to eat. Her "dad," Ryan, told me her superpower while surfing is her counterbalancing hyperawareness. "She knows exactly where to be on the board, which is a hard thing to know," he said. But she’s not only a natural on the surfboard. She’s a natural as a support dog, comforting the sick and nurturing the heartsick at the VA Hospital, still suffering from the effects of war.Ryan cries when he speaks of losing Sugar, the dog who’s been his constant companion of 15 years. He dreams of taking her to surf "one last time" at her favorite spots like Malibu and San Onofre. But Saturday was perfection. She rode in on a 4-foot wave. Ryan said when her little feet hit the sand, "She walked like a puppy again!"Where Sugar and Ryan are in her health journey is unknown; as The Beach Boys would say in their famous song, "God only knows …"An online fundraiser has since been launched for Sugar. Those looking to donate or help Sugar and her owner can click here for more information.
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