When Jose Martinez was severely injured while serving in Afghanistan, he thought his life was over. Injured in an IED explosion, Martinez was in a coma for 10 days. When he woke up, he had lost three of his limbs and part of his fourth. Worst of all, his injuries left him feeling angry and depressed.

But thanks to a therapy dog named Ricochet, Martinez has a new lease on life and a new purpose.

A first of her kind

Ricochet is the first-ever canine-assisted surf therapy and adaptive surfing dog. Since jumping on a surfboard in 2009, Ricochet has assisted hundreds of kids and other people with disabilities, including wounded warriors like Martinez.

Ricochet makes a connection

“She makes immediate soul-to-soul connections, assumes responsibility for their well-being, and alerts/responds to anxiety, pain, emotions, and triggers,” says her guardian, Judy Fridono. “The connection she makes with people defies present-day scientific understanding!”

Ricochet helped Martinez prepare for adaptive surfing competitions. Martinez fell in love with surfing the first time he climbed onto a board following his injury. Before that, he had spent two years in a hospital, with doctors telling him he would never walk again. Now, not only does he surf and walk, but he competes in competitions.

“It means everything for me,” Martinez said. “Without this sport, I wouldn’t be able to find the happiness that I have now. I wouldn’t have the smile that I have. This has opened up so many avenues and opportunities for me to continue on with my own personal life… It has opened my eyes to the beauty of what we still have here.”

Ricochet also helps many others

Another individual who Ricochet has worked with is Persons B. Griffith IV, a retired Marine staff sergeant. Suffering from PTSD from his time in Afghanistan, Griffith didn’t find relief until he met Ricochet.

“Ricochet is like a mirror for me, it’s like she reaches in with both her paws, grabs what’s really going on inside of me, pulls it out, and forces me to deal with it,” Griff said.

Ricochet’s Waves of Empowerment Program

Ricochet also works with children with special needs and veterans paired together as a part of Ricochet’s Waves of Empowerment Program. The program leads participants through a day of canine-assisted playing, swimming, surfing, and therapy.

All in a day’s work

As for Ricochet, it is all a part of a day’s work. And, along with the other dogs in the program make a difference in peoples’ lives every day.

For more on Ricochet and her work with Martinez and others, check out the following video.

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Sources: YouTube – Surf Dog Ricochet, The Veterans Site, Surf Dog Ricochet