Beloved Surfing Dog Champion Dies After Battle With Cancer In OC

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA — A four-legged member of the SoCal surfing community has died following a battle with cancer.

Five-time World Dog Surfing champion Sugar the Surfing Dog passed away in her owner, Ryan Rustan's, arms at 3:20 a.m. Monday.

"She absolutely loved you guys!! She lived to put smiles on faces, volunteer, to send it!! To change dog surfing forever!!!" Rustan wrote on social media.

Sugar became the first animal to ever be inducted into the Surfers' Hall of Fame at 16-years-old.

She also served as a therapy dog and worked with surf therapy foundations and veterans at the VA Hospital in Long Beach.

Sugar underwent surgery to remove her tumor earlier this year, and Rustan said at the time she was recovering and had even gained weight since her surgery.