A Grade 10 Houston Secondary School student has been recognized by the Houston RCMP detachment for her determination and compassion in staying with a dog who slipped and fell into Buck Creek and was unable to get out.
Fifteen-year-old Brooklyne Blackburn was walking alongside the creek toward school the morning of Friday, Sept. 25 when she first noticed the dog. After passing it, she heard it make a sound behind her.
Looking back, she saw it rolling down the bank into the water.
“I started panicking,” recalled Brooklyne.
She then quickly took off her shoes and waded right into the creek to comfort and hold onto the dog.
“I began petting it and holding it to sort of keep it warm,” said Brooklyne of standing the water which went up to at least her knees.
She’s unsure of the dog’s breed, but described it as fairly large.
And thinking ahead, she had placed herself in front of the dog so as to block it from being carried further down the creek.
Every few minutes, Brooklyne would leave the dog and climb back up to the path in hopes of attracting the attention of someone walking nearby.
After approximately 20 minutes, two people came along, noticed what was happening and went to the RCMP detachment for help.
It was detachment commander Sgt. Mark Smaill who went to the creek to help retrieve the dog and take it and Brooklyne back to the detachment.
With wet jeans from standing in the creek, Brooklyne said she was pretty cold by the time Smaill arrived.
“I was pretty chilled for the rest of the day,” she added.
In presenting the certificate, Smaill described her as self-assured.
“She showed a lot of determination and compassion,” he said.
Brooklyne’s experience that morning made her late for school but a phone call from the detachment provided the reason.
A civilian employee at the detachment used social media in looking for the dog’s owner and it was soon back at home.