The City of Atascadero has joined forces with Ranger, the first official service dog for the city.
Ranger is a six-month old Labrador who will be available to assist visitors and staff at events throughout the year. The canine could not have come at a better time as more people flock to Atascadero all summer long for fun in our sun!
Learn more about your furry friend: rangerthebodaciousbeachdogbringsmilesatoAtascadero
Ranger’s owner, John Crippen, produced a book of images of the hunky canine last year.
Ranger the Bodacious Beach Dog has most likely been seen in town, at the Atascadero Senior Center, or at the beach. But did you know you can buy a book with images of this good dog?
Ranger’s owner, John Crippen, is a now-retired photographer who worked for seven years as a professional photographer before deciding to focus solely on Ranger. This, along with Ranger’s love of the beach, inspired Crippen to create a picture book chronicling his best friend’s escapades.
At the beach, there’s a ranger. John Crippen took this photo.
“I went through five point-and-shoot [cameras] in two years because I actually go in the water with him,” Crippen said.
We’re going to get through this together, Atascadero
On April 10, 2021, “Ranger the Bodacious Beach Dog: a Photo Collection of the Coolest Canine Ever” was released. Crippen self-published the picture book, which contained a little more than a page of Ranger’s beachgoing shenanigans. Body surfing, chasing seagulls, stealing balls and toys, grabbing unattended food, and even peeing on a surfer’s bag are among his favorite activities.
“When we acquired him, he was from the Valley, and he’d never been to a beach before, so we brought him to Cambria at Moonstone, where he first walked on the sand, severely dug in, backed up, and said, ‘What’s this?’ He was body surfing and chasing seagulls about five minutes in and knew exactly what to do,” Crippen recalled. “That’s how ‘Ranger the Bodacious Beach Dog’ was born.” I followed him about with a camera for the following two to three years, taking a lot of images of him.
“It’s such a delight, such a pleasure.” Just seeing him play with a big grin on his face gets me as delighted as he is. So I figured that maybe a lot of other people might appreciate this, so I shot a number of images of him and put together a book, thinking, “You know, people really like him, he’s an example to everyone.”
Ranger, who will be six on April 1, was two years old when he was adopted by the Crippens.
“I had a service dog named Flynn who lost away.” Crippen said, “He was also a golden retriever.” “He died in the middle of 2018, which was a difficult time for my family, and a week later, my wife and sister arrived home with Ranger in the back of the vehicle. He was a Valley rescue, and it was love at first sight for him.
“My first service dog had been properly trained, but I had spent so much time with him that I chose to teach Ranger myself. He’s been incredible. He’s really kind and caring, and he learns things quite quickly.”
“Ranger the Bodacious Beach Dog” book cover. John Crippen took this photo.
Ranger, a therapy dog for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, travels with Crippen everywhere. Ranger is back to his old self and playing on the beach after recuperating from hip surgery due to hip dysplasia.
“He really brings out the best in everyone he comes into contact with.” It’s a wonderful thing. “Everywhere he goes, he’s simply a gift,” Crippen added.
“Ranger the Bodacious Beach Dog” is available for purchase on Amazon.
Ranger’s shenanigans may also be followed on social media.
As an example:
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