Surf Gidget the Pug Surfs for Charity and Makes a Splash with a Rare Disease
By Rachel Baerchen Sept 1, 2018 |
Surf Gidget the Pug in the Finals, heading to shore and winning the 1st Place ‘Top Dog’ award at the 2018 Imperial Beach Surf Dog Competition at Imperial Beach, San Diego, CA
Photo Credit Dale Hernandez
|
Surf Gidget the Pug® is a 5-year-old Champion surfer, who I had the pleasure of sitting down with in Pacifica, CA at the World Dog Surfing Championships. In addition to sitting down with Gidget, I also met with her owner, Alecia Nelson, and we discussed Gidget’s history, her health, and her exceptional surfing achievements.
Being a Malibu, CA native, Alecia grew up with an athletic lifestyle and was raised to be charitable. She established a career in the Fitness Industry, and was active in philanthropic work with a focus on Cancer, Heart, and AIDS Research. A business opportunity brought her to Maine, where Alecia found puppy Gidget, an all-white pug (which are rare… most pugs are apricot fawn, silver fawn, or all black, in that order) and a beautiful relationship was born! Alecia began training Gidget in an extensive 2-year dog agility program that included Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) fun in the Atlantic Ocean. Sure sounds fun!
In 2014 Alecia and Gidget found their way back to California together when Gidget was two-years-old. It was a natural fit being back on the West Coast for Alecia to try-out Gidget on a surfboard in the Pacific Ocean. Gidget’s agility training already showcased strong balance skills for the little pug, and as soon as she got on a surfboard, Gidget took to the waves like a pro! So much so that Alecia entered Gidget in the 2015 dog surf season, where the little, pure white Pug-in-Pink placed 3rd! It seemed that not only did Gidget have great balance, her two-years of agility training made her a natural for riding forwards AND backwards, as well as for staying on the board at the shore. Hey, that’s more than most humans can do! Closing out the 2015 surf season, Surf Gidget the Pug® came out with a splash as the 3rd Place winner of Small Dogs at the Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon event in Del Mar Dog Beach in San Diego. Talk about a natural! Gidget’s purpose in life became clear. Alecia knew what this little dog was meant to do: surf for charity!
After the 2015 season was over, Alecia told me, Gidget started looking very skinny. Too skinny, in fact. Gidget was sick; everything she ate went straight through her, and her body functions were not acting normal. Yikes! That’s not good, especially for a top-shelf athlete like Surf Gidget the Pug®.
Extensive blood work and lab tests stumped several veterinarians; they didn’t know what else to look for. Gidget was getting more ill, and she quickly became emaciated. Alecia began panicking. Gidget was so young, only 3 years old, going on 4. Was this really the end?
“It was devastating,” said Alecia. “I love Gidget, yet I felt helpless. I knew I couldn’t give up, and had to keep trying to find a solution.”
After countless vet visits, one veterinarian recalled a particularly rare case he had treated previously. He cautioned Alecia that it was a long shot, however he suggested that it may be worth a try. In fact, it may be Gidget’s only hope. Heartbroken, yet not willing to give up, Alecia agreed to try his recommendation. The veterinarian prescribed an expensive enzyme powder to be given twice daily, with explicit advice that if it worked it must be given to Gidget for the rest of her life in order to keep her alive and healthy. Fortunately it worked! Hooray, team Gidget!
Turns out, Gidget is a 15lb. pure white pug, who is battling a rare disease, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), which is also known as Pancreatic Hypoplasia, or Pancreatic Acinar Atrophy (PAA). Never having heard of EPI, nor PAA before, Alecia was kind enough to explain it to me in terms I could understand.
“EPI as a diagnoses is a disease of maldigestion and malabsorption. Left untreated, it eventually leads to starvation,” Alecia said. She went on to explain that “prompt and accurate diagnosis is one of the major difficulties with the disease. Most cases go untreated since symptoms might not appear until 80-95% of the pancreas has atrophied.”
Alecia says she prefers to not dwell on her dog’s diagnoses, rather she wishes to always focus on the positive. Caring for Gidget’s health is more important than dog surfing, or even philanthropy. Gidget’s health and well-being is top priority. You go, girls! In 2016 the veterinarian gave Gidget the green light to surf again. And surfing with her dog buddies was the best medicine! They’ve been making the best of their time together, to say the least. Yeah, team Gidget!
 |
Surf Gidget the Pug
and her mom, Alecia Nelson, surfing the Purina® Pro Plan® Incredible Dog Challenge, Huntington Beach, CA
Photo Credit Dale Hernandez
|
Gidget and her mom, Alecia, have been featured on several T.V. shows, including Nat Geo WILD’s "Pet Talk", a weekly show hosted by Andre Millan, son of the “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan. On their episode, Gidget got to teach Andre's pug, Sugar, how to surf! Gidget even had a custom surf board made for Andre and Sugar from BruSurf® Paddleboards & Surf Shop. Geeze, not only is Gidget a champion surfer, she’s a gracious guest as well! Nice.
2015 Surf Gidget the Pug® Surfing Events & Press*
June 29 - Imperial Beach Surf Dog Competition, San Diego, CA
September 9 - Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, Del Mar Beach, San Diego, CA: 3rd Place Small Dogs September 29 - Surf City Surf Dog Competition, Huntington Beach, CA *Malibu Times Magazine
2016 Surf Gidget the Pug® Surfing Events & Press*
June 1 - Purina® Pro Plan® Incredible Dog Challenge (Dog Olympics), 2016 National Championships, Huntington Beach, CA: 2nd Place ‘Small Surf Dog’
June 30 - Imperial Beach Surf Dog Competition, San Diego, CA: 2nd Place Small Dogs
October 2 - Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, Del Mar Beach, San Diego, CA: 1st Place small dogs & 3rd Place Best in Surf over all size dogs
September 24 - Surf City Surf Dog Competition, Huntington Beach, CA (pulled out due to 8ft swells, too dangerous)
*Celebrity Connected
*ESPN
*KTLA-5 Gayle Anderson
*Lucy Pet Gnarly Crankin’ K-9 Wavemaker, Rose Parade Float 1-of-3 Demo Dogs, Aired on Hallmark TV
*Hallmark TV Show
2017 Surf Gidget the Pug® Surfing Events & Press*
March – San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
June 9 - Purina® Pro Plan® Incredible Dog Challenge (Dog Olympics), 2016 National Championships, Huntington Beach, CA: 2nd Place ‘Small Surf Dog’
June 28 - Imperial Beach Surf Dog Competition, San Diego, CA (competed) no win
July 16 - Ohana Surf Dog Competition Galveston, TX - Featuring Surf Gidget Celebrity & Demo Appearance
August 5 - World Dog Surfing Championships, Pacifica, CA: 1st Place small dogs
September 10 - Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, Del Mar Beach, San Diego, CA: 2rd Place small dogs
*NBC
*CBS
*Nat Geo WILD “Pet Talk”
*Modern Luxury Living
 |
Surf Gidget the Pug
riding Tandem with Prince Dudeman at the World Dog Surf Championships 2018, placing 2nd
for the Silver medal. First time ever riding together!
Photo Credit Alecia Nelson |
June 9 - Purina® Pro Plan® Incredible Dog Challenge (Dog Olympics), 2016 National Championships, Huntington Beach, CA: 3rd Place ‘Small Surf Dog’
June 29 - Imperial Beach Surf Dog Competition, San Diego, CA: 1st Place small Dogs, 1st Place Top Dog over all dogs
July 21 - Ohana Surf Dog Competition, Galveston TX: featuring Surf Gidget the Pug®, Celebrity & Demo Appearance
August 4 - World Surf Dog Championships, Pacifica, CA; 1st Place Small Dogs, 1st Place over all dogs & 2nd Place Tandem with Prince Dudeman
*San Clemente Lifestyle Magazine
*Fox-5 Las Vegas
*KRON-4 San Francisco
 |
(left) Surf Gidget the Pug
winning 1st Place ‘Top Dog’ award at the 2018 Imperial Beach Surf
Dog Competition at Imperial Beach, San Diego, CA. Photo Credit Dale Hernandez. (right) Surf Gidget the Pug
winner, 1st Place Small Dogs, 1st Place over all
dogs& 2nd Place Tandem at the 2018 World Surf Dog Championships,
Pacifica, CA.
Photo Credit Dale Hernandez. |
September 9 - Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, Del Mar Beach, San Diego, CA
September 29 - Surf City Surf Dog Competition, Huntington Beach, CA
Alecia can’t believe how blessed she is.
“It’s amazing , considering what we went through, that Gidget is healthy again, competing against amazing surf dogs, raising money for charity, and sweeping the 2018 Events thus far. I feel blessed and honored each day I have with Gidget,” Alecia said.
Gidget is a proudly sponsored athlete with:
GOPRO
SOLOSHOT 3
Speakpug
EzyDog
Dog Beach Style
Oakley glasses (team Gidget)
Be on the lookout for Gidget surfing with her new tandem friend Prince Dudeman. Gidget and Dudeman recently placed 2nd for Tandem at the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica, CA (Aug 4, 2018). Alecia says the bond between an owner who surfs and their surf dog is amazing; the discipline, training and love the owner has with their dog goes a long way. And we mere mortals can see that on full display when we get to watch these cool dogs surfing with their owners. It’s awesome to behold!
Check out, and feel free to support Surf Gidget the Pug®’s current charity work here: Belinda Carlisle of the “Go Go’s” non-profit foundation Animal People Alliance; The Pug Queen Foundation; Pug Nation Rescue of Los Angeles; Southern Nevada Pug Rescue; Tiny Paws Pug Rescue (Central California); The Make-a-Wish® Foundation; and Gidget also promotes adopting shelter dogs and rehoming them, too.
In June 2018 Surf Gidget The Pug® released her environmentally conscience iTunes and Google Play gaming app (Rated ‘E’ for Everyone!). You get to help an adorably animated Surf Gidget surf or snow sled, while keeping our oceans and environment clean. It’s fun for the entire family to play, and teaches good stewardship towards the Earth’s oceans and environment. The iTunes and Google Play Surf Gidget The Pug® game is free to download.
This little 15-lb. pure white Pug-in-Pink made my day! Thanks Surf Gidget the Pug® and Alecia Nelson. I’m a fan. Go #TeamGidget! In San Francisco, I’m Rachel Baerchen.
 |
