ASHWAUBENON (NBC 26) — They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
For five-year-old Brantley Danielski, a picture with a police officer takes only one word to describe.
"Awesome," he said.
In the picture, a smiling Brantley is joined by Officer Joe Merrill and his K9 Neo. The story behind that picture can be traced to another. A calander picture of Merrill and Neo caught Brantley's eyes.
"We all figured he was talking about Neo, but he was talking about me because me and I have the same hair," Merrill said.
Brantley has alopecia, which often results in unpredictable hair loss. In the picture, he saw someone who looks just like him. Word quickly spread, and Brantley soon got to meet Officer Merrill and Neo.
"It was great, he took to him right away, and that's not always the case for Brantley," Brantley's mom, Courtney Danielski, said.
"He is a kid with a great heart and a big smile," Merrill said. "There is nothing bad or wrong with Brantley. He is inspiring to me."
Their friendship also brought Brantley close to Neo. Now, he even has a stuffed animal of the K9. Together, Brantley and Officer Merrill are two guys who look alike and a dog who's impossible not to like.
