Faith wasn't always chasing waves. In 2012, she was found starving in a parking garage in El Cajon, a belt cinched around her neck as a makeshift collar, protecting her brother the only way she knew how. Officer James Wall took her home — and a year later, almost by accident, took her surfing too. He'd been volunteering as a surf instructor for other people's dogs all summer and figured it was finally Faith's turn. She hopped onto the board in the shallows like she'd been waiting for the invitation her whole life.
Three weeks later she placed third in her very first competition. More than a decade on, Faith has surfed well over a thousand heats, become one of the most recognized surf dogs in the world — instantly spotted by her wraparound sunglasses and permanent grin — and never lost the calm, easy confidence that got her off the streets and onto the water. She and James are proof that the right wave can find you exactly when you need it.