A photo of a Michigan man with his smiling, newly-adopted dog went viral, but soon created a tricky situation for the pair. Local authorities took notice and now want the dog out of the area.
Dan Tillery, of Waterford Mich., posted a photo with his new terrier, Diggy, earlier this month on his Facebook page that got more than 1,300 reactions and 188 comments.
Officials at Diggy’s previous shelter, the Detroit Dog Rescue, then posted the photo on their Facebook page and that got more than 28,000 reactions and 1,000 shares.
It also got the attention of Waterford officials, who argued that owning Diggy violates a local “dangerous dog ordinance,” according to an online petition to lift the ban. Waterford is about 30 miles south of Flint.
The Waterford chief of police told the Detroit Free Press that his department had received several complaints about Diggy, and police officers visited Tillery’s home on Thursday to inspect the dog.
The dog was determined to be a pit bull mix, and owning a pit bull in the city is an ordinance violation that can carry a $500 fine, the newspaper reported. Police didn’t cite Tillery, but he was told he has until Monday to relocate the dog to another town, according to the Free Press.
Shelter officials argued that Diggy was adopted as an American bulldog and they did their “due diligence” before Tillery took him home.
“We stay committed to helping Diggy and his owners and are confident that we will be able to work with Waterford Township officials,” Detroit Dog Rescue said on their Facebook page.
Meanwhile, Tillery continues to get attention and support on Facebook from terrier lovers across the country, including Hawaii and Georgia.
