When Dan Tillery decided to adopt a furry friend from the local dog shelter in 2016, he never imagined the rollercoaster of emotions he was heading for. Getting his own puppy was quite the ride but far from being a fun experience. He struggled when he received the devastating news that'd make him regret his actions.
One day, he woke up and the local police was at his doorstep, threatening to take legal actions against him for what he thought was a good deed. Unfortunately, they had targeted him because of a photo. And now, he had to fight for his freedom and his right to keep the newest member of his family.
They Always Dreamed Of Having A Loyal Companion
Dan was like any normal guy in his town in the state of Michigan. He and his girlfriend had been living together for quite some time and were dreaming of getting a puppy to complete their family.
Although they were never allowed to have animals in their rented apartment, they eventually found the best solution and decided to buy their own property. They thought they were a step away from getting their dream companion, but what they didn't know was that their story was about to take an unexpected turn.
Time to meet their new best friend
After being done with the moving, they promptly started the search for their new fluffy friend. They were not really sure what type of dog they wanted, but one thing was for certain. Instead of deciding to buy a puppy, they were absolutely sure they were going to adopt a rescued dog.
So, they looked into their local dog shelter and were immediately taken by a picture of a specific dog. It was a big white pooch with kind eyes and what seemed to be a permanent goofy grin on his face. His name was Sir Wiggleton.
A new cooler name was in order
After not being able to stop thinking about the pup with the silly smile and cute face, they decided Sir Wiggleton was a perfect fit for their young family and newly acquired house. He was the one, for sure.
So Dan ran as soon as he can to the shelter to meet the new member of their family. When he picked him up to bring him home, he renamed him "Diggy". Things were looking up for Diggy for the first time in many weeks. But sadly, this would be short-lived happiness for this puppy and his owners as they would all get in trouble with the law.
An unexpected friendly creature
They then learned the story of the dog. He was found walking around the Detroit area alone and was taken to the dog shelter after a passerby called animal services to help the poor thing. In the shelter, he had spent more than a couple of months waiting to be adopted by a kind-hearted family.
That family would end up being Dan and his girlfriend. After they brought him home, they were delighted to learn that, despite his big size, he was the friendliest boy they could ever imagine. Little did they know that they would soon be fighting justice to prove this fact and save their dog from a terrible fate.
A decision that he would regret
Dan, who currently has over 20K followers on his social media account because of his music career, was extremely proud of his new pup. He knew Diggy's face was special and wanted to share his ever happy expression with friends and family.
So he took a photo of Diggy the dog with his signature smile and posted it all over his socials on the internet without giving it as much as a second thought. After, all he thought that what he was doing was completely normal for an excited pet owner. He was wrong and the consequences of this action would get him into unimaginable trouble.
All thanks to the shelter
When the staff from the dog rescue shelter called Detroit Dog Rescue saw the picture on Dan's social media account, they happily reposted it on their Facebook page with a touching caption summarizing the puppy's rescue story.
The post helped Dan and Diggy's story gain momentum online and it got spread all over the internet. The post had gotten over 29K likes and 1.1K comments. It was official. Diggy, also known as "the smiling dog", was now viral and internet-famous all over the world, spreading happiness through his goofy smile caught on camera.
Diggy goes viral
The attention they were getting over that simple post was incredible. Never in a million years would he have thought Diggy's picture would 'cause such reaction and would get so much reach. The number of likes, comments, and messages they were getting was unbelievable.
It was spreading like it was celebrity news! In a sense, Diggy was becoming an internet celebrity with his endearing grinning face. But just as he was growing a substantial fan base, he also faced criticism. It didn't take long for them to make headlines but for a completely different reason.
The selfie
The emotional caption on the selfie that launched Dan and Diggy straight to internet fame was also one of the reasons the post got so much love and support. It was written by the Detroit Dog Rescue staff, and it told a little bit of Diggy's story.
People were moved thinking of this cute little dog being sad, waiting patiently for someone to come for him at the shelter and having his life completely turned around. Honestly, it is a very touching story that would melt even the coldest of hearts.
Cops were suddenly involved
What would be the first thing that would cross your mind if someone calls the cops on you over a harmless Instagram post? Even worse, what would you do if the police actually respond to the report and show up unexpectedly at your home?
All the possible answers to those questions were running through Dan's mind when he found himself in a very unpleasant situation with the local authorities over the photo he had posted. He didn't understand what was so wrong about posting a picture about a puppy he had rescued from a dog shelter. But he was about to find out.
The infamous selfie that would change their lives
The thing is, if you look at the picture in question, you'd be even more confused as it literally shows a happy man and his adorable puppy next to each other both smiling for the camera. That's it, nothing less and nothing more.
So what exactly could have caused this type of negative reaction for someone to be upset enough to take actions against him? The answer to this question would leave Dan perplexed for a lack of a better word, as it was something that had never crossed his mind when he welcomed Diggy into his family.
A few words with the police
Dan was amazed at the attention he and Diggy were receiving on a daily basis. He was overwhelmed by the positive words of encouragement and was finally happy to start his life with Diggy as a new important part of it.
So, you can only imagine his shock when, a couple of days after posting the selfie with his puppy, the local police knocked on the door of his property and informed him he had violated city regulations. Dan couldn't believe what he was hearing and immediately got concerned over these serious allegations.
A bad reputation
Dog attacks are constantly being reported on the news even though they are not that common, to begin with. This has created fear against big dogs because of their strength and powerful bodies. One particular breed that has been unfairly stereotyped is the Pitbull, as most people think they are inherently vicious dogs.
That's despite the fact that research and veterinarians agree that they don't possess any type of inherent aggression towards humans. Any poorly trained dog is likely to show aggression regardless of breed. People's biggest fear regarding Pitbulls is their size more than their temperament.
A misunderstood breed
Sadly, most dogs that are abandoned in dog shelters tend to be Pitbulls for this same reason; the misinformation and myths surrounding the breed. While it's true that this breed can do a lot of harm when attacking a target, but so can German Shepherds, Border Collies, and Siberian Huskies.
In fact, in terms of aggression, tiny dogs like Chihuahuas and Daschunds score higher. However, this is frequently overlooked because of the breeds' small size. This can explain why Chihuahuas are the second most abandoned breed. They tend to be loyal to only one person to the point of becoming extremely jealous and attacking random strangers (including children) just for getting near that person.
The reason behind the police report uncovered
Turns out that Dan's town, Waterford Township in Michigan, has a regulation called Breed Specific Laws. So when he posted his happy picture with his cute new pup and everyone in town (and the country) saw it, someone called the police on him because of the appearance of Diggy.
Waterford has a ban on owning Pitbulls or breeds that are mixed with Pitbulls to prevent accidents. So when the police got dragged into the situation and saw the photo, they paid him a visit to let him know he was definitely in trouble. He had three days to get rid of Diggy or he would face serious consequences.
But there was a mistake
Dan was extremely outraged, he couldn't believe a complete stranger would sabotage him without any reason at all. He tried to explain to the police that Diggy was a friendly, loyal, and calm dog. There was no reason to believe he would attack anybody. He wasn't even a Pitbull but an American Bulldog.
Diggy even proved Dan's point when he greeted the officers with goofy excitement and even licked their faces. He had won them over in a few seconds and they admitted in the end that he seemed like a good boy. They then took some photos of him with their camera and left. Dan thought that was it, but no.
Presenting His Evidence
Diggy was an American Bulldog, and Dan and his girlfriend had the evidence to prove it. The dog shelter had given them paperwork stating the specific breed of the puppy on his adoption certificate.
So they weren't exactly worried when the police told them they were breaking the law. Unfortunately, the police department was not trying to make things easier for them and the answer they received after submitting the paperwork left them speechless. Looking at the mess they were in, Dan was starting to regret having posted that picture at all.
Judging a book by its cover
Dan and his girlfriend showed the paperwork to the police, but they discarded them. After performing a visual inspection, they got to the conclusion that Diggy was probably a Pitbull mix. Dan was completely heartbroken.
The authorities were not changing their minds and were putting him in a very uncomfortable position. They allowed him three days to remove the pet from his property and find him a home outside the area or he would have to face the law at court. Dan felt cornered. He didn't want to send Diggy away, but he didn't want to go jail either.
Diggy's supporters came to the rescue
As it was expected, when Diggy's fans on the Internet found out about the legal problems Dan and his girlfriend were facing regarding the fate of their beloved pooch, they were not having it and weren't shy to voice their thoughts.
The police department and their staff faced a lot of backlash at that time from Diggy's supporters. They started to ask more respect for animal rights in this situation. The police department staff were still standing their ground, though, as they claimed they were only making sure that the law was being properly applied.
Saying goodbye was not an option
Dan was taken aback by the support but was immensely grateful for all those strangers trying to help him keep his dog. The fans took it a step further and started rallying to defend Dan's right to keep the canine.
The fans were coming up with a plan to start a petition to hopefully let Diggy stay at home with his loving family. While all of this was happening, Dan was preparing to go to court over the issue. He clearly was not willing to let them take his buddy away from him.
Fighting to keep Diggy
It was kind of crazy that this family was suddenly finding themselves in a situation that had the potential to change their lives in such a drastic way. They had invested so much of their time, resources, and affection onto this adorable creature and had fallen in love with him in the process.
Now, they were at risk of losing everything they had put so much effort into. Diggy's fans were also completely involved in the development of the case and wanted updates on how things were going. The dog rescue shelter was also a great supporter of Dan's family during these hard times.
Dan was not quitting on him
Dan was very appreciative of all the support he and Diggy were getting during this nightmare. So he took to his social media to not only thank Diggy's fans but to also inform them that he was very serious about fighting this case.
He wrote something about being grateful for all their motivation and the efforts that they were making to help their situation. He also claimed that he was working with his lawyer to solve this in the best possible way for his family. He ended the post by reaffirming that he was not a quitter. They had to overcome this.
Petition for a noble cause
Supporters took it a step further and collectively decided to not only advocate for Diggy's rights but also to prevent similar situations from happening again. So they decided to focus their efforts in trying to make the city lift the ban on specific breeds.
The dog shelter Diggy was from was also in favor of the move. They thought there were still innocent dogs that are affected by these ordinances without even actually addressing the issue in a proper way, thus failing at becoming a solution to the biting problem.
A wave of support
The amount of effort that the supporters were exerting was gradually increasing. Diggy's fans spoke out about lifting the ban on a town board meeting and several animal rights defenders were there to voice their opinions.
Most of the people didn't agree with the ban because they felt it didn't put the responsibility where it rightfully belonged—on the pet owners. Any dog can bite at any time regardless of its size and breed, and it's up to the owners to act responsibly and prevent these issues through proper training and other safety measures.
An ocean of signatures
The community was involved and committed to helping this cute dog keep the home he had struggled so much to find. Diggy had spent 100 days on the dog shelter waiting for a ray of hope to save him from a sad life.
His story had inspired many people all over the world, and the petition got an impressive number of signatures that showed the scale of popularity Diggy had achieved over a very short period of time. The petition gathered 110,475 signatures to save Diggy. It was truly incredible!
Finally, some good news
After a very long three-month battle and several setbacks in court. Dan Tillery and his girlfriend were finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. After so much worrying and wondering, they had an answer to their prayers at last.
After much debate, the authorities decided that they were going to dismiss Diggy's case altogether and got to the conclusion that a visual inspection was not a legal way to determine a dog's breed. So, after receiving an affidavit from a licensed veterinarian that Diggy was indeed a Bulldog like DDR shelter claimed, he was cleared.
The happiest Facebook post
Things came to a perfect circle when Dan Tillery again used his social media platforms to tell supporters and Diggy fans that the legal battle was over. He wrote that the case was finally closed and they get to keep him.
People were extremely happy and proud to have been part of such a heartwarming story. It's kind of ironic how Dan would come back to the root of how this whole ordeal happened to share this happy news along with another photo of Diggy showing off the smile that made him famous.
Diggy made him more popular
Luckily, for Dan Tillery, he had the help of many of his friends and family during the legal battle for the custody of his pooch. We also need to take into consideration that he had some decent amount of followers because of his line of work.
Dan is actually a musician and performer relatively known in his area. And to top things off, the Detroit Dog Shelter Facebook page also made the post gain a substantial amount of notoriety; something that probably made all the difference in his confrontation with the Waterford Township.
His true passion
Dan is still performing and creating music. He seems to apply the same determination and true grit he showed during his legal battle to keep his dog, Diggy, in his musical career. He is a very passionate musician who has recently released the EP he made with his producer Dave G called We Like To Have Fun.
His inspiration to write comes from finding music as the perfect outlet to express a message of love throughout the world. His tunes are the perfect invitation for you to sing along and celebrate your life journey.
Diggy updates
To this day, Dan Tillery is still using the power of social media to connect with his fans (and now Diggy's too!) from all over the country and the world while keeping them updating on their adventures together.
He currently has 21,277 followers on Instagram and almost a thousand followers on Twitter. So if you ever wonder what Dan and his cute pet are up to, you now know you can check his socials for candid shots of their everyday life. They also share uplifting content for fans everywhere to enjoy.
Diggy is now an Internet celebrity
This is the perfect ending to a very emotional story that turned the world upside down. Dan and Diggy's story is a lesson for us to remember to always persevere and always defend the truth and what's right in life.
It also brings awareness on the issue of outdated ordinances that need to be revised from time to time and how adoption is the best way to go when getting a puppy or other pets. We're grateful for Dan, his girlfriend, and Diggy for never giving up and for teaching us a few things about family and love!