An adorable Yorkshire Terrier named Sasha has gone missing and her family is asking for the public's help in finding her so she can be safely returned to her owner with disabilties. Sasha's owner is Justin. He is 17-years-old, wheelchair bound and cannot talk because of cerebral palsy. Currently undergoing treatment in a San Francisco hospital he does not yet know his beloved dog is lost.

His aunt, Detria Terry, said Justin has overcome the odds as when he was born he was given a life expectancy of 2 or 4 years old. His condition is now failing, but for the past four years one of the bright lights in his life has been his dog Sasha. "She keeps him smiling, keeps him up when he’s feeling down," said Detria. "She is so important to Justin and he’s having a really hard time right now," she added.

The small 10 pound dog was in her care when she went missing. Detria was walking Sasha Thursday afternoon in her Elk Grove, California neighborhood when a big dog charged at them. The dog scared Sasha. She wiggled out of her collar and took off across Bruceville Road.

Detria is feeling awful about losing Justin's dog and has not told him Sasha has gone missing, hoping the dog will be found and returned hopefully before January 3, when Justin is expected to be released from hospital. She has been frantically searching for the dog since, putting up fliers in the neighborhood. 

"She [Sasha] doesn’t normally live in Elk Grove with us, so she’s in very unfamiliar territory," Detria told CBS Sacremento. "I’m hoping someone has found her and has her somewhere where it’s warm,” said Detria.

Detria says Sasha's tags came off with her collar but the small dog has a microchip. The Yorkie was last seen at Bruceville Road and Laguna on December 27, 2012 at 4:20 pm. Since Sasha has a microchip, the family is asking that if anyone sees her and picks her up to bring Sasha into any shelter and Justin’s family will be alerted, or please call (916) 752-2752. There is a $500 reward for her safe return.

• lost dog
• Yorshire Terrier
• Elk Grove
• California