Toby proudly wearing his patrol vest (photo by Priscilla Wardlow)
Susan Knox Wilson
While working on the story about Liz Yount joining the patrol office team, I learned that patrol member Lisa Canady has a little dog, Toby, who is a member of the patrol team’s “canine unit.” He was given his own patrol badge, #223, and patrol vest in December 2022 by the office staff (John, Bill, and Colleen). He is the only member of this very special unit.
Lisa adopted Toby, a 9-pound Chihuahua, from Jim Ellison’s Pet Companions Club in April 2022. Toby, thought to be 4 or 5 years old, has all the qualities one would expect in a canine unit dog—adorable, loving, lively, devoted, quick, and courageous. A lover of bacon bits and peanut butter, Lisa reports she has to limit treats so Toby can fit into his patrol vest.
Toby and Lisa are dispatched when the patrol team gets a call about a stray dog that is afraid of people. Toby is able to get stray dogs to come to him and then a human can collar the stray. They have made several “collars” so far. Most recently, a dog named “Bear” was on the loose and no one was able to catch him. Toby, however, was able to convince Bear to follow him home. Lisa was then able to turn Bear over to the Ellisons, who found him a new home.
“We’re not currently planning on expanding our canine unit,” added John Singleton, PebbleCreek’s Director of Community Services. “Toby is pretty much in a class all by himself, and performs a very unique service. Lisa—and our patrol team—are delighted to have him in our lives.”