Tammany Family: Roxy Remembered

Two years ago at the Covington Courthouse Veterans Day ceremony in November of 2021, the Robert H. Burns American Legion Post for the first time presented a "US Military Working Dog Service Award." That award went to Service Dog Roxy R682 USMC, led onstage by area resident Gwen Gole.

American Legion Post Commander Joseph P. Untz II presented a framed certificate to Gwen Gole and then kneeled to drape the military ribbon around Roxy's neck.

Just over a year later, she was gone.

On December 8, 2022, Gwen Gole posted to her Facebook page that Roxy had died. "It is with completely broken hearts that we announce the passing of our retired USMC/ TSA K-9 ROXY R682," she wrote.

"She gave her all for all of us and asked so little of any of us. We are so thankful and enormously grateful to have her Bless our lives for the past 5 1/2 years! Rest in Peace, good girl."

Roxy was born on June 1, 2009, and served two 2 tours to Afghanistan, 2011 and 2012. After that she served the TSA as a package sniffing dog at the New Orleans Louis Armstrong Airport. Then, from December 2017 to 2022, she was certified and became part of the "Love on a Leash Therapy K-9" program. She was a key player in military service, airport security, and then canine therapy for area residents in assisted living facilities.

For her final three years, the US War Dog Association accepted her into their free RX program, which was a big help to Gwen's family. She has a burial place at the Michigan War Dog Memorial Cemetery which provides a headstone and service with full military honors.

"Roxy was not just a dog, but a soldier, hero, veteran, therapist, and a very good girl with a kind loving heart. I truly believe God put her here to not only save lives but to change lives also. She truly did both very well," Gwen said. Many of those whose lives Roxy touched sent in their condolences for her loss.

RMWD Roxy R682 looks upward after receiving her US War Dog Assoc Afghanistan Service Medal on Veterans Day 2021 .

Humane Society Recognition

On March 14, 2021, Northshore Humane Society noted that Roxy had become a new Woofstock client in honor of National Canine Veterans Day (March 13th). On the Society's Facebook page, the group noted that "Roxy is a 12-year-old canine veteran who in her earlier days served as an explosive detection dog for the Marines and was deployed to Afghanistan twice! She also protected our New Orleans airport from explosives before retiring and finding her adopted family in 2017."

The Humane Society then posted that Roxy became a certified therapy pup for Love On A Leash St. Tammany and regularly visited patients at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and assisted living facilities all over the Northshore.

"We were honored to meet this amazing canine. In 12 years, she has experienced and accomplished more than many of us will ever do in a lifetime," the Humane Society spokesman said at the time.

A Humane Society photo with Roxy

Her official portraits
Click on the images to make them larger.

A black Labrador, Roxy began her military training/evaluation for the "Explosive Detection K9 program" at Ft. Bragg, NC On December 8, 2010. Her first deployment to Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan was from August 2011 to January 2012, and her second Deployment to Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan was from March 2013 to October 2013.

She served with the 3rd Batt. 4th Marines and was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security in December 2013 to begin her service with TSA New Orleans, LA in January of 2014. She retired from TSA March 17, 2017 and adopted by Tony and Gwen Gole.

Click on the images to make them larger.

Tony, a former USN Flight Officer, knew Roxy and her TSA handler for her three plus years with agency. When she was retired from the TSA, the Goles were chosen to be her civilian family. Gwen had retired from teaching special needs children in January 2017 and was chosen by Roxy to become her new "handler."

For the first year Roxy was right by Gwen's left side waiting for a command, never letting her out of her sight. They had been told that Roxy gained weigh easily and had PTSD. The PTSD was evident during the first Veterans Day program they attended because of the 21 gun Salute. She kept trying to get Gwen "away and down" and did not calm until Gwen sat on the ground with her with Roxy in her lap.

Canine Therapy

Roxy kept wanting to "go to work" everyday, so Gwen got her involved in a Pet Therapy Group, Love on a Leash. She became certified in December 2017 and began weekly visits to hospitals, assisted living facilities, cancer centers, churches. etc.

One of the assisted living facility invited her to be a part of their annual Veteran's Day Program, honoring her along with other Marine Veterans. Each facility they visited it seemed as if Roxy could pick out the Veterans to visit with rather than the civilian residents/patients.

"She was so happy and excited to go for each and every visit she did," Gwen recalls. "She even had regular patients she insisted on visiting because they always had treats and belly rubs for her."

Roxy

During the closure of many facilities due to Co-Vid. Roxy began slowing down some and could not jump into the car due to Osteoarthritis in her hips and knees. "This condition is very common for MWDs," Gwen explained. Roxy then began taking daily medications and supplements for this condition.

An Emotional Visit

Her last visits with the group was in May/June 2021 to a Short Term Veterans Rehabilitation Facility. At that facility a young Veteran entered the room, took one look at Roxy and left the room emotional and crying. It was explained to Gwen that the young Vet had been a Dog Handler in Afghanistan and his Black Labrador, Max, had been killed in action. By this time everyone in the room who knew his story had tears in their eyes.

Gwen offered to leave but his therapist ask them to stay to see if he could work through it and come back to visit with the dogs. The young Vet did come back about 15 minutes later still somewhat emotional but did sit down to receive the dogs.

Roxy and Gwen were across the room at that time but Roxy started pulling directly to the young Vet. There was no holding Roxy back, so she approached him his head was down but he reached his hand out to her and was able to talk through the day that he lost Max. It was one of the most emotional, powerful visits they had ever experienced. Gwen says God surely put Roxy there that day as a means for the young Vet to be able to move on and heal.

Upon leaving that day Gwen and Roxy were asked to come do weekly one-on-one visits with the young Vet, which they did for another month. Gwen saw a positive change in the young Vet with each visit they made with him.

During one visit, the young Vet went through Roxy's Military Records and determined that he and Roxy had been at Camp Leatherneck at the same time in 2011, but in different units. Gwen feels like she remembered him in someway and that is why Roxy was so insistent and overly excited to visit with him that first time.

After those visits. Roxy was diagnosed with a condition common to older Labradors. Laryngeal Paralysis, which causes breathing difficulty due to heat, excitement and anxiety. So it was decided to retire Roxy from LOAL visits after this diagnosis.

On Monday, May 29, Memorial Day, at the courthouse in Covington, local veterans organizations attending their annual observance included a special recognition in remembrance of Roxy, the working military dog who touched the lives of so many in this area after saving the lives of so many in her overseas tours of duty.

Photograph of the plaque that was presented at the Memorial Day program to commemorate Roxy's service to her country

In late August of 2023, Roxy was laid to rest in the Michigan War Dogs Memorial Cemetery. Gwen and her husband went to the gravesite ceremony, which was very solemn and meaningful. Gwen said that Roxy's tombstone and the ceremony was provided free of charge, and the event was attended by several war dogs and their handlers. There was even a procession led by a bagpiper, followed by a column of several military dogs. The lead dog, a Labrador like Roxy, proceeded to the gravesite, then turned to the left and walked aside, with the other dogs turning to the right, similar to the aerial military ceremony honoring a downed aircraft pilot.