Tillman the Surfing Dog Laid to Rest in Ocean Tribute

Hundreds of people turned up at an Oxnard beach Sunday to pay their last respects to Tillman, an English bulldog whose surfing and skateboarding videos made him a social media sensation.

Approximately 200 people, some bringing along their pets, paid tribute to Tillman during the “memorial paddle out” as the beloved dog’s owner, Ron Davis, placed his ashes on a surfboard and sent it out to sea for one final time.

“Tillman, you know, he’s a special dog,” Davis told CBS Los Angeles. “And a lot of people, he put a smile on a lot of people’s faces and the world is gonna miss him, I think.”

Tillman reportedly passed away last week at the age of 10. Since his passing, tributes have poured in from all over the world. ESPN ran a special tribute to Tillman last week.

The English bulldog surfed, snowboarded and skateboarded his way into the hearts of thousands over a decade. Tillman’s YouTube videos have racked up hundreds of thousands of hits, and the pooch’s Facebook page boasted 370,000 followers.

“He just lived to be on that board,” friend Debbie Metlow told CBS.