Thousands of people gather in Pacifica, California, every year for the World Dog Surfing Championships, but the joyful event might not happen this year. Organizers of the San Francisco Bay Area event say it might be called off because costs have soared and fundraising has so far fallen short of their $12,000 goal, SFGate reports. In a GoFundMe fundraiser, organizers say the costs of "permits, fees, and other event requirements that the local government has requested" have risen 42% since last year and have more than doubled since 2020.
The event "helps local and regional businesses, brings awareness to our rescue dog charity partners, organizers wrote, adding that it also helps local schools, with one raising $4,500 from a parking fundraiser last year. According to the event's website, it is the "premier dog surfing event" in the world and has inspired similar events worldwide. "The event has a lot of fans, which is great, but Pacifica says it's a tax on their resources so they increase the costs," organizers tell SFGate. They say they have tentatively scheduled the event for Aug. 2, but it will likely be canceled if they haven't raised enough funds by May 1.
Last year, around 20 dogs from a wide variety of breeds took part, watched by a crowd estimated at 7,000, ABC7 reported at the time. Pups rode the waves alone, with owners, or with other dogs. The extra-large category featured only Labrador Retrievers. "The Labs are literally a different breed out in the water," said spectator Justin Cho. "They are so eager to get in and go surfing." (More dogs stories.)
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