K-9 dog honored for years of faithful service
Fifteen-year-old Mas retires after lifetime of tracks and finds
BY PATRICIA A. MILLER
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Veteran Brick Township Patrolman Ronald Braen poses with Mas, his buddy and K-9 partner of almost 15 years, outside police headquarters last week. The Township Council honored Mas for his years of service at a recent council meeting.

Patrolman Ronald Braen has a saying that has always held up in court. "The dog doesn't lie."

It's one he used many times with his K-9 partner Mas, during the nearly 15 years the two worked together..

When Braen drove a patrol car, Mas would sit with his head on Braen's shoulder. When they moved up to a police dog sport-utility vehicle, Mas would sit in the back and nudge his arm with his nose.

But age has finally caught up with the 80-pound black Labrador retriever. It's hard for him to jump and climb because of the arthritis in his hips. His eyes are clouded by cataracts. His muzzle has turned white.

Mas' last day at work was Sept. 15, one week after he turned 15. But he was on hand last week when the Township Council honored him for his years of faithful service. He padded up to the front of the dais and sat quietly while they read a resolution detailing his accomplishments.

It was a bittersweet moment for Braen. Mas has lived with the Braen family since he was a puppy. Braen was there when Mas was born.

Mas began work as a township employee when he was just 6 months old. He never stopped. His last week at work he tracked down a suicidal woman who had escaped from Ocean Medical Center.

"He went right into the woods, through a ravine and into heavy brush, and there she was," he said.

Mas stepped on a bottle during one of his tracks this year. He began to have problems shortly after that, Braen said.

"If there was a way to put wheels on his back, I would," he said. "His nose is still good."

Braen also had Mas' father, Sam. Mas is his father's name spelled backward. He picked Mas out of the litter right away.

"I said, 'That's going to be the one,' " he said.

Potential K-9 dogs go through an interview process that consists of observing the dog's demeanor and his "play drive," a test to see if he will fetch an item, like a towel.

"Do they want to fetch?" he said. "Are they interested in you? Their work is not work. To them, it's play."

Mas passed the test.

The Braen family -Ron, his wife Sally, and 15-year-old son Ron - consider Mas a part of the family.

"My son and Mas were born within a month of each other," he said. "I had both babies."

Braen has been a K-9 dog trainer for the Brick Township police department for the last 15 years. He started as a special police officer in Brick back in 1977. He has been a full-time officer for the past 25 years. His work with the dogs keeps him going.

"That's what keeps me here," he said. "I enjoy working with the dogs so much. It's not just having the dog. It's the accomplishment for what the dog does. The good endings are what makes it."

Mas is not the only K-9 dog who lives in the Braen home. He also has 3-year-old Neo and Eros, a very lively 5-month old. Mas tolerates them both. But his seniority pays off. He always gets fed first, Braen said.

Mas has been a part of investigations of home invasions, robberies, purse snatchings, missing persons and just about anything else he was handed over the years..

When the dog tracked down a man who had stolen a woman's purse right after she had gotten her paycheck, the woman was so grateful to have the item recovered intact, she bought Mas a gift.

"She came down to headquarters that night," he said. "Mas got a big sirloin steak with dog bones on top of it."

When a suicidal Howell Township man went missing, local officers and police dogs searched fruitlessly.

"They called Mas in 24 hours later," he said. "Unfortunately, he found the gentleman's body in thick brush."

K-9 dogs are always rewarded after a track or when they make a find. Mas' reward was a little more unusual than the standard dog biscuit.

"Every time he made a find, he got a hunk of liverwurst," Braen said.

Braen admits he is more partial to male dogs than female dogs.

"I think they work better," he said. "A male dog is more apt to please his master. Whatever Daddy wants. I've always had luck with male dogs."

He tried a female K-9 dog once, but it didn't work out.

"All she wanted to do was sit on the couch, eat popcorn and watch TV," he said.

The township's five K-9 dogs all go through a 12-week training period after they are selected.

"After three or four weeks, the dog knows what he is doing," Bren said. "It takes the handler the rest of the time to know what the dog is doing. And you have to be an animal lover."

The Adamston Veterinary Hospital has taken care of Mas for 15 years free of charge. Rogers Pet Supply has donated his food.

The hardest part of Braen's work day these days comes when he leaves for work. Mas either stands by the back door or sits by the window and watches.

"I do take him sometimes," he said. "I still let him go for a little ride, maybe an hour."