Steve Braden has been bitten by dogs, cornered by white supremacists and wrestled to the ground.

The Butler Township man has experienced all that and more in his work as a private investigator.

Braden, 41, who recently opened a new office on Main Street next to the Penn Theater, does more than verify disability claims and find proof of cheating spouses.

His firm, Check Your Mate Investigations, finds missing parents for Butler County Children and Youth Services.

Braden said he tracks down parents CYS doesn't have the resources to locate.

"These people don't just stay in Butler," he said.

As a last resort, CYS petitions the court to terminate parental rights paving the way for an adoption.

After CYS removes children from their homes, a lengthy process begins in which the parents have at least 12 months to correct any problems. The parent may have a drug addiction or some other issue impeding a stable home life.

Charles Johns, CYS assistant director, said the goal is to do everything possible to keep a child from being placed outside the home.

"We look to reunite," he said. "We try to focus on not making legal orphans."

However, a parent may not be attending meetings with CYS or using services offered to the family. In such a case when there is no improvement in living conditions at the home, state law requires CYS to seek termination of parental rights.

Johns said the process won't go this far unless neither parent can provide a stable home or be located.

"We have to cover multiple bases," he said.

To ensure every one of those bases is covered, CYS employs Braden to track down any missing parents.

While some people don't want to be found, others are happy to discover they're losing their parental rights.

"Some people say, 'Thank God. I never wanted a kid,'" Braden said.

However, once in a while, there is a positive outcome reuniting a parent with a child.

Johns said the mother of an 11-year-old girl was found to be unfit. Because of that the father had to be located before the girl could be eligible for adoption.

Since the father could not be found, Braden was called.

"Our tools are limited," Johns said.

Braden was able to track the man down in the state of New York.

"He (the girl's father) was actually looking for the child," Johns said. "He didn't know where to find her."

After the man was contacted, CYS checked his background.

"Little did we know he was an OK guy," Johns said.

Thanks to Braden, a separated parent and child were reunited.

"Anything can happen when you find these people," Braden said.

But even when a parent who is found is not suited for raising a child, Johns said, there still is potential for a happy ending because the youth becomes eligible for adoption.

In searching for a parent, Braden goes through a step-by-step process.

"We start peeling the onion back," he said.

Braden's first step is to check the prisons.

Along with checking Butler County Prison, Braden contacts surrounding jails in such counties as Armstrong, Allegheny, Lawrence and Westmoreland. He then probes the state prison system.

As a former corrections officer for Butler's prison, Braden already has a familiarity with repeat offenders.

If the person being sought is not there, Braden searches places where someone's personal information is detailed.

He said contact information can be found in such innocuous places as pizza shops, video stores and auto parts businesses.

"Everybody eats pizza and rents videos," Braden said.

About five years ago, CYS opted to use Braden. The county in July renewed his contract, paying him $55 an hour.

For the 2009-10 fiscal year, the county paid Braden $15,070 for 274 hours of work on five cases.

Johns said a detective is less expensive and more effective than an attorney in finding people.

Braden has an international network of contacts to employ during his searches.

Along with hearings for terminating parental rights, Braden serves people notices for other types of hearings.

Sometimes, he canvasses a neighborhood to find the person the court is seeking.

Once an address is identified, Braden often conducts surveillance, which is a tricky proposition at times.

If Braden is parked in a housing plan or near a school, he notifies authorities beforehand to avoid potential problems.

Upon locating an individual, Braden serves that person notice of a court hearing.

While on the job for various clients, Braden has been attacked by dogs and people. He's had to physically restrain husbands from hurting men cheating with the wives.

"I literally wrestle them to the ground," Braden said.

He's had to enter areas in cities that police warn him are dangerous.

Among the protective devices he carries are mace and a stun gun.

He also uses a variety of small cameras, including ones that fit in pens, cell phones, iPods and pinholes on backpacks and ties, to record evidence.

One client insisted his ex-wife was framing him for abuse. On surveillance, Braden witnessed the woman injuring herself.

"I watched a lady physically pound herself," he said.

Of Braden's diverse caseload, those involving the welfare of children are particularly important to him.

"This is how I make a living. But at the end of the day, I created this job to help people," he said.