Canby Police Deliver Family Christmas Miracle

A Canby family's Yorkie named "Penny" went missing after her owner was involved in a three vehicle traffic collision December 20th.

"Penny" the Yorkie was missing for several days just before Christmas after she bailed from her owner's car that had been involved in a three vehicle crash. A persistent police officer found the dog and called her owner and the yorkie ran into her arms. Photos courtesy: Chris Mead/Canby Police

(CANBY, Ore.) - Canby Police Officers located a mini Yorkie dog Sunday December 23rd that was missing from a traffic crash that occurred on the afternoon of Thursday December 20th. The family had spent exhaustive hours searching for their dog and for a while they wondered if they would ever see her again. Chris Mead with Canby Police says the incident started when officers responded to Hwy 99E near North Grant Street in Canby December 20th on the report of a three vehicle traffic crash.

"After arriving, officers learned that one of the passengers from one of the vehicles was seen limping from the scene in an attempt to catch her mini Yorkie, that jumped out of the car after the crash."

Mead says officers located Patricia Middleton walking in downtown Canby, approximately four blocks from the crash scene, calling out for her mini Yorkie "Penny".

"It was obvious that Middleton had a leg injury because she could barely walk on one of her legs."

Canby Fire personnel responded to treat Middleton for her injury, but she refused, and continued to walk downtown looking for her missing dog.

Middleton told officers that "Penny" was a two year old mini Yorkie that had a red collar on. "Penny" did not have a tag or any identification. Officers continued to look for the missing dog but did not locate her.

Patricia Middleton and her husband Roy continued their search for "Penny" and maintained a vigil by spending hours in downtown Canby looking for their beloved pet, according to Mead. He says the very next morning, Officer Steve Floyd saw 'Penny' near the Canby Police Department.

"Officer Floyd called out to the dog, but she ran away."

Mead says Officer Floyd contacted the Middletons and told them that he had just seen the dog near the police department in downtown Canby.

That led to more hours of searching from the Middletons, but the time they spent still failed to turn up their missing pet.

Then on Saturday, Officer Floyd saw "Penny" again near the police department. But she ran away from him for a second time he said, when her called her. Mead says the Middletons maintained an all day and night vigil in hopes of finding "Penny" before the Christmas holiday but became exhausted and returned home to Aurora Sunday morning around 6:00 AM to get some sleep. "I just got home and was ready to go to sleep when Officer Floyd called and said he saw the dog and had it in a neighborhood near the post office" said Roy Middleton.

The Middletons drove back to Canby and met up with Officer Floyd and three other Canby Police Officers that were attempting to keep "Penny" in the neighborhood. After locating the Yorkie in a backyard of a home in the Darcy Estates subdivision, located at North Cedar Street and NW 1st, many attempts were made to catch her.

But when her owner Patricia Middleton got out of her car and called for "Penny" the dog came running. "I got out of the car and called to Penny and she ran to me and jumped in my arms," she said. The Middletons credit the assistance of the Canby Police Department in reuniting them with their dog.

"It is definitely a Christmas Miracle that we got our baby back" said Patricia Middleton. Officer Floyd was quoted as saying that "I found a lucky Penny". The dog is very lucky considering that downtown Canby was very busy with vehicle and train traffic. The weather was also very wet and cold the days the dog was missing.