A rescue route for Milo

Raul Aragon and his dog, Milo, know a thing or two about ditchbanks in Valencia County.

The two hit the ditchbank on Tuesday, Jan. 6, for their daily five-mile walk. Back in 2023, Aragon adopted Milo, who is a Siberian husky.

He explained that Milo requires a lot of rehabilitation due to a broken hip. After a lifesaving surgery, the treatment plan was simple — walk.

Aragon took this advice from the vet seriously and began their walking routine. Just last week, the duo celebrated three years of exploring the ditchbanks, llanos and streets around west Belen together. Over this time, Aragon and Milo have gotten to know the dogs on the route, with Aragon even bringing treats for some of Milo’s friends.

“That’s Zeus over there, he walks with us sometimes,” Aragon said, noting that they still exercise caution because of the loose dogs that run around.

Dogs aren’t the only creatures that Aragon and Milo look forward to seeing.

“I have chicken scratch in my pocket for a neglected chicken we pass every day,” said Aragon with a smile.

He said they started walking on ditchbanks since there aren’t many public access walking paths available nearby. He likes how quiet of a community Belen is to live in. Over the last three years, Aragon said they have only missed around 12 days of walking total, and some of that time off was due to a sprained ankle from a loose dog attack on their route.

“Dog control would be really nice,” Aragon offered when asked what could be improved on his walking route.

Milo had no comment, but was eager to continue on his walk.