Disabled veteran leans on superhero dog with 'Batman' markings for support, companionship
Move over, Batman — there’s a new caped crusader in town, and she’s got four legs, floppy ears and a heart of gold.
William Bottger, 66, an Army National Guard veteran from Bellevue, Ohio, found an unlikely hero in his beagle, Roxie, who has fur markings in the shape of the superhero's logo on her left side, news agency SWNS reported.
Despite suffering from PTSD, memory loss and the loss of his right eye, Bottger said he finds comfort in his dog's unwavering presence and support.
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The devoted dog stays by its owner's side, sensing his pain and providing him with companionship and stability, according to the SWNS report.
For Bottger, Roxie is much more than a curiosity; she’s a lifeline.
"I’ve had Roxie for seven months now," Bottger said. "She was just a 2-month-old pup when I got her from a friend as a birthday gift."
"Right away, I noticed the bat wings, and it reminded me of Batman," he said, noting that the original 1989 film with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson is his favorite of the franchise.
Bottger, who served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, retired from the military in 2012.
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"Overall, the military was good to me," he said, according to SWNS. "I did 22 years."
Yet his time overseas left him with permanent injuries, including PTSD, short-term memory loss, hearing loss in his right ear, and the devastating loss of his right eye due to a disease called histoplasmosis, a fungal infection caused by inhaling airborne spores from contaminated soil.
Some of those injuries have made daily life difficult — and that’s where Roxie comes in.
"She’s right there with me all the time," Bottger said, according to SWNS. "She knows what I need without me even saying it."
He added, "Roxie is everything to me. She’s my companion. She knows when I’m hurting, and she’ll [lie] down beside me and stay by my side."
There is a long history of friendship between veterans and canine companions.
The official website for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a page dedicated to how service dogs help veterans with PTSD.
"Service dogs have allowed many veterans a chance to reunite with their families, head back to school, find renewed enjoyment in life and significantly reduce their medications," the site says.
In an article on the K9s for Warriors website, an organization connecting veterans with dogs, the science is explained a bit more.
"When humans who have some sort of familial or emotional bond look into each other’s eyes, their bodies release a chemical called oxytocin," says the site.
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Studies have shown that this hormone — which can slow heart rate and breathing, reduce blood pressure and inhibit the production of stress hormones — is also excreted when an owner and their dog look into each other's eyes, according to the same article.
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Unlike most beagles, Roxie is quiet, her owner noted.
"She doesn’t bark or get aggressive," Bottger said. "She only gets in my face when she knows she has to go outside."
Bottger said he trained the dog himself using treats and patience, their bond forged through trust and loyalty.
Roxie accompanies the veteran on long walks, always remaining close to him.
While a dog with bat wings on its fur might sound like something out of a comic book, for one disabled veteran, Roxie is as real as it gets.