Smiling Dog’s Owner Gets Dangerous Dog Ticket

Waterford Township, MI — Nearly 60,000 people have signed a petition asking Waterford Township officials to rescind a dangerous dog ordinance banning pit bulls that has ensnared Sir Wiggleton, or Diggy, the smiling dog that lit up the internet last week.

On Monday, a week after Waterford native Dan Tillery adopted the dog from Detroit Dog Rescue, he was issued a ticket by police for violating the ordinance. The action wasn’t unexpected. 

After photos of Tillery and Diggy smiling for the camera captured the hearts of thousands, the Waterford police department’s phones began ringing with complaints. Township Police Lt. Todd Hasselbach said Friday Diggy can remain in Tillery’s home if a veterinarian confirms his breed.

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Tillery was given three days to comply with the ordinance by finding another home for the dog that had already had a tough life before Detroit Dog Rescue Executive Director Kristina Rinaldi found him last winter.

Tillery isn’t taking Waterford officials’ actions personally, but neither does he plan to give up his canine pal. He told the Detroit Free Press he has the papers to prove the Diggy is an American bulldog, not a pit bull.

“I don't think they have a vindictive edge against me; I think they have an ordinance and they have to enforce it,” he said.

Adoption papers from the Detroit Dog Rescue identify Diggy as an American bulldog, and both Detroit Animal Control and Welfare and a local veterinarian concur, The Oakland Press reports.

“We recognize the emotional and passionate views of people on both sides of this issue,” Waterford Police Chief Scott Underwood said in a statement.

Diggy’s possible eviction has rained a firestorm of criticism on township officials.

According to the online petition asking Waterford officials to lift its longtime ordinance rekindles a simmering debate about whether specific breeds should be singled out in dangerous dog ordinances.

“Many   families have had to give up their family pets due to this law,” the petitioners wrote. “It is important for all of us to come together and be a voice for not only Diggy the American Bulldog, but all of the pets and people that have suffered heartache in the past years.

“We must remember, it is not the animal that is the beast, it is man that creates the beast. Aggressive dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and BREEDS. This should be handled on a case by case basis.” 

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A Facebook page has also been set up in support of Diggy by dog trainer Tara Vitale, a Waterford native now living in North Carolina, where her husband is serving in the military.

“I’m far away, but I thought maybe I could rally the troops (on Tillery’s behalf) because I don’t think that any kind of breed banning is necessary,” Vitale told The Oakland Press. “It’s all really on the ownership of the animal and how people take care of their pets. I’m not expecting (supporters) to lift the ban today, we’re just simply trying to get the ball rolling.”

Diggy’s devotees planned to walk Monday to the township hall, where trustees were meeting, in support of Tillery and his dog. They didn’t expect officials to take action Monday, but hope to get on a future agenda, Vitale said.

The Humane Society has joined tens of thousands of people in the fight to keep Diggy in his new hope, according to the group’s Facebook page.