Photo:america’s vetdogs
america’s vetdogs
SGM Bittenbender served 34 years in the United States Army and retired in 2018.
“I had my left leg amputated on February 17, 2022, due to burn pit exposure in Afghanistan. And I suffered from PTSD, a TBI, and peripheral neuropathy in my legs and hands. That neuropathy is due in part to my exposure to burn pit exposure. Between my mobility and my PTSD, I was doing my rehabilitation at Walter Reed Medical Center, and America’s Vet Dogs just so happened to walk into my life at the time when I could really benefit,” SGM Bittenbender tells PEOPLE.
“He’s just amazing. My sidekick, he’s my battle buddy now as I had in the military,” he adds.
“He’s like the younger version of Sully. Yeah, he’s identical. So it’s pretty cool,” SGM Bittenbender says.
“I lost three of my guys on August 27, 2007, due to an ambush, and I always tried to do three events in their honor. Subsequently, I lost a fourth member of my team from injuries that he suffered that day as well. So I try to do events to live a life worth their sacrifice and to honor their names,” SGM Bittenbender explains.
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SGM Bittenbender hopes his experience inspires other veterans and first responders to explore if a service dog is a good fit for them, especially now that America VetDogs' wait to be matched with a canine is down from 4 years to 12 months or less.
“He gives me a sense of calm that I’ve never really had the last 13 years, and I really enjoy his company as he enjoys mine. I think that if anyone’s on the fence about doing it, it is definitely worth pursuing,” he says. “It’s amazing the things a dog can bring you. You can have the most miserable day, but he thinks it’s your best day.”
source: people.com
