Letter by Elizabeth Medora,
I wanted to let everyone at MCSO know what a wonderful job Deputy Braaten did helping a dog in danger Tuesday (Aug. 4). The photo was taken by a coworker, of the deputy me, and the dog as we tried to help the dog.
My co-worker and I were told there was a dog on the side of the road our New River office is on, which is a fairly busy roadway and in sight of the I-17 freeway. She and I tried to get hold of the dog and couldn’t. We left and came back with treats and a leash to try to coax the dog to safety. When we came back, the dog had climbed to a precarious place on the roadside hill and was in imminent danger of falling as the rocks under his feet were giving way. I climbed up the hill behind the dog and managed to leash him but couldn’t get him down on my own. Anthem Pets, a local pet rescue, came out to try to help.
Deputy Braaten happened to drive by on the frontage road, and my coworker Karen flagged him down. He stopped, climbed the hill, assessed the situation, and helped me to a safer spot on the hill. He found a safe path down the rocky hillside and was able to pull the dog down to safety. The dog was terrified and unfriendly and fought Deputy Braaten and gave him a terrible time in general. Deputy Braaten managed to get the dog down the hill. The dog slipped the leash, unfortunately, and bolted. Deputy Braaten followed him, and while he wasn’t able to catch him, he did ascertain that the dog was off the main roads. He even came back to my office to tell me that he and his partner would keep an eye out for the dog.
Deputy Braaten really went above and beyond the call of duty. He kept the dog and me from getting hurt and likely prevented the dog from causing a car accident by running into traffic. I wanted to pass along how wonderful he was to everyone in the situation. He deserves commendation for his bravery and kindness. I couldn’t thank him enough at the time; then it occurred to me to share the story with MCSO. I’d like everyone to know what a big heart he has.