{"id":246089,"date":"2026-04-01T02:56:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T02:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/246089\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T02:56:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T02:56:14","slug":"surfing-dog-sugar-dies-at-14-after-cancer-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/246089\/","title":{"rendered":"Surfing Dog Sugar Dies at 14 After Cancer Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AnSugar the Surfing Dog’s legacy as a pioneering athlete and beloved therapy animal lives on through a vibrant expressionist painting.Oakland Today<\/p>\n

Sugar the Surfing Dog, a five-time dog surfing world champion and the first canine inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 14 after a battle with cancer. Sugar was found as a stray in Oakland, California and went on to become a beloved therapy dog and local legend in Huntington Beach.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

Sugar’s passing marks the end of an era for the sport of dog surfing, which she helped elevate to new heights with her skill and charisma. As a therapy dog, Sugar also brought comfort and joy to many, making her a true community icon.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

Sugar died around 3:20 a.m. on March 30, 2026 in the arms of her owner, Ryan Rustan. She was diagnosed with cancer on March 2 and a GoFundMe was set up to help with her medical bills, which has since raised nearly $16,000 for her cremation and legacy fund.<\/p>\n

Sugar was found as a stray in Oakland, California.Sugar was inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame in 2024.Sugar’s cancer diagnosis was announced on March 2, 2026.Sugar passed away on March 30, 2026.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Sugar the Surfing Dog<\/p>\n

A rescue dog from Huntington Beach, California who was a five-time dog surfing world champion and the first canine inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

Ryan Rustan<\/p>\n

Sugar’s owner who announced her passing and set up a GoFundMe to help with her medical bills.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cShe lived to put smiles on faces, volunteer, to send it !! to change dog surfing forever !!! thank you for loving Sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ryan Rustan, Sugar’s Owner<\/p>\n

\u201cSugar wasn’t just a champion on the waves – she was a symbol of joy, resilience, and purpose. From inspiring the surfing world to advocating for rescue dogs and bringing comfort to veterans as a therapy dog, her impact reached far beyond the shoreline.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 City of Huntington Beach<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

Sugar’s legacy as a pioneering surfing dog and beloved therapy animal will live on, inspiring others to follow their passions and use their talents to bring joy to their communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a Sugar the Surfing Dog’s legacy as a pioneering athlete and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":246090,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[143,145,144],"class_list":["post-246089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246089"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246089\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}