Midge, who was recognized as the world’s smallest police dog by Guinness World Records, is now a true celebrity: The 8-pound Chihuahua-Rat Terrier mix has been featured in the pages of People magazine.
Midge’s owner, Geauga County, Ohio, Sheriff Dan McClelland, takes the attention in stride. “Midgie … puts in the same work week as all the other dogs,” he told the magazine.
That work includes searching for drugs in lockers at local high schools, and squeezing into tight spots in cars to look for contraband, something the department’s other K9s – all German Shepherd Dogs – can’t do.
But McClelland admits that a large part of Midge’s job is to serve her growing legion of fans. “She receives mail and gifts from around the world,” says McClelland, who takes Midge home every night to the house he shares with his wife, Bev. “Even the governor asks about her all the time.”
Despite the accolades, Midge still, well, messes up. “When I’ve left her in the car, she has set off the siren and turned on my spotlight,” McClelland says. “But we’re getting it worked out.”