What happened to this poor dog is unbelievable. A selfie was enough to get the police to intervene, what happened?
The story takes place in a town just outside Detroit, Michigan. Dan Tillery and his girlfriend lived together in a house and were interested in adopting a dog. ** When they saw Diggy for the first time it was love at first sight! ** The couple knew they were the right family the puppy was looking for, but they couldn't have imagined that a ** harmless selfie would go viral, upsetting theirs. lives forever **.
Diggy was a dog that roamed the streets of Detroit. He was only two years old when he was recovered by Detroit Dog Rescue: he was malnourished, had a flea infestation and was in desperate need of help. This non-profit organization does work to help and raise awareness of the city's stray dogs. In addition to this, he also deals with finding homes for these poor little animals. ** But Diggy was a separate case ... **
In fact, when the Detroit Dog Rescue found little Diggy, the facility was already full. The van used to retrieve the stray dogs already numbered 12, so Diggy found himself standing alone in a cage. His face showed all his sadness. Kristina Rinaldi, the association's executive director, noticed this scene and decided to intervene. He cared about the fate of the poor dog, he knew he could not abandon him, so he called his volunteers together.
Although the Detroit Dog Rescue did not have the place to welcome Diggy, Kristina and her volunteers decided to help him anyway. They promised to help him at any cost, so much so that Kristina personally transported him with her car to the shelter. Diggy seemed to be on the road to a new and better life, but no one knew that ** innocent action would trigger a series of serious events **.
Upon arriving at the volunteer-run facility, Diggy underwent all necessary medical treatments and was given a diet according to his needs. Diggy also got to socialize with other dogs, which allowed him to develop a playful character. In fact, life on the street had made the puppy very fearful and hesitant in relating to other animals and people.
At first Diggy was shy and fearful, but following the treatment his mood improved and his true character emerged. The team that was committed to treating him thus discovered the ** peculiar personality traits of the dog , one more fun than the other! For example, when Diggy was aroused, he would wiggle his butt back and forth. He did it all the time, so much so that volunteers gave him the nickname ** Mr. Wiggleton . With each passing day, Detroit Dog Rescue volunteers were more and more convinced that he needed a family to look after him.
During Diggy's time at the facility, Detroit Dog Rescue volunteers ** posted photos of the dog on social media ** in the hopes that someone would notice and adopt him. But after a month still no one had come to get little Diggy, despite the fact that he was a lovely and affectionate dog. The volunteers were disappointed that a dog with that personality could not find a family and wondered if anyone would ever adopt him ...
Around the same time Diggy was with the volunteers, Dan Tillery was realizing his goal: to buy a new house. Not only did this allow him not to have to pay rent, but also to ** finally be able to fulfill his dream of adopting a dog . In fact, Dan has moved to his new residence in Waterford Township where ** he has no contractual restrictions on having pets in the house , which prevented him from adopting a puppy in the house where he previously lived. So now Dan and his girlfriend were finally determined to save a little puppy in distress.
Dan therefore immediately set about looking for a dog to adopt, so as to be able to pour all his affection on him that he had kept for years. As he and his girlfriend began looking at all the possible options, they stumbled upon Detroit Dog Rescue's Facebook page where they first saw Diggy's sweet face. That puppy immediately attracted the attention of the couple, remaining intrigued.
According to the couple, ** Diggy stood out from all the other dogs ** they had seen: he had a goofy smile on his face that characterized him. Only from the photos the couple was convinced to adopt him, impressed by the personality that the puppy showed. The euphoria immediately prompted them to contact the shelter to start the adoption procedures, before any other family noticed Diggy.
So Dan and his girlfriend called Detroit Dog Rescue to make an appointment for Diggy's adoption right away. When the volunteers of the center found out about it, they burst with joy! They were happy that this puppy had found a family, because they were sure he would pay them back with a lot of love, and because their idea of putting his photos on Facebook had worked. But before bringing him home, the couple had to test the puppy to see if it would adapt to the new arrangement.
Therefore, with volunteers from the stray dog center, a visit to the new home was arranged for Diggy. The center staff were convinced that the puppy would fit in, but it's never a sure thing with a stray dog. Fortunately, however, the meeting with the new owners went great! Diggy immediately fell in love with Dan and his girlfriend, who immediately filled out the adoption forms. ** After three months Diggy finally had a home ... or so it seemed **.
Diggy was officially part of the family! He immediately felt at ease with Dan and his partner, so much so that he continually showed his affection, for example by going to wake them up every morning with many kisses. Dan immediately bonded with Diggy, so much so that ** he decided to document his life on social media **. But Dan didn't know that doing so would lead to dire consequences.
Dan and his girlfriend were so impressed with their dog's beauty and joyfulness that they were delighted to share his photos on social media. The Detroit Dog Rescue were so happy with Diggy's new life that they decided to ** share a photo of the dog with his new owner on their Facebook page , demonstrating the wonderful work the volunteers had done. Within days, thousands of people had seen the photo, ** unaware that this would cause a big stir .
The Detroit Dog Rescue Facebook page is lined with photos of dogs who have had a successful turn in their lives as they pass through their center. But the story of Dan and Diggy had a crazy response! The volunteers chose the photo with the two protagonists lying on the terrace where the dog seemed to be really smiling. The photo was so popular that it received 24,000 likes in just 24 hours. It was so viral that it even appeared in an edition of Good Morning America.
Dan and his girlfriend never imagined Diggy's photo could be such a big hit. Thousands of people shared this shot because they greatly appreciated the smiling dog, captured by his personality. This virality, however, was going to lead to big trouble for Dan ...
A few days after its publication, ** the photo was reported to the Waterford Township Police **, where Dan, his girlfriend and Diggy resided. The person who made the report ** noticed something in Diggy that was not exactly consonant ** and some measures were needed in this regard. Was Dan breaking the law? Clarifications were necessarily needed.
Dan and Diggy were living their life in peace, when one day the unexpected happened: with great surprise one day ** the police came knocking on the door **. The photo of Dan and Diggy that went viral prompted agents to intervene. Dan was absolutely unaware of why they had come to his house. Why would anyone have reported them? Who was so angry? The policemen told him that from the photo that had been reported to them they noticed that they were breaking the law. But what was the real reason?
Dan couldn't understand why the police broke into his home for a photo with his dog. But then the reason was revealed: According to agents, ** Diggy was a pit bull and the breed was not allowed in Waterford City due to an old local ordinance **. There is talk of a 1990 ordinance banning the possession of pitbull dogs in the city, a law that Dan was breaking with the adoption of Diggy.
This law was introduced due to the reputation the pit bull breed had about 30 years ago. Waterford Township residents viewed these animals as a threat to their safety. But Dan was against all of this, he considered Diggy the exact opposite of the one described, which in fact was very loving and sweet towards other creatures. ** But what would happen to the puppy now? **
When the police entered the house they approached Diggy very carefully, as they thought he was aggressive towards them. But the dog approached them with his usual smile and his joyful demeanor, ** overturning all the prejudices they had about that breed **. Diggy also gave them kisses, confirming that he wouldn't hurt a fly either. And this Dan knew perfectly well. But by law Dan was about to be presented with an ultimatum.
Although Diggy had proved his goodness, the agents placed the ultimatum on his master: hand over Diggy or face the serious consequences of not doing so. Dan didn't think twice and ** refused to part with his four-legged friend **. Although the agents never went over the lines, Dan was not happy with what was happening: Diggy was a very good dog, he was the exact opposite of all the pit bull stereotypes.
Eventually the agents decided to give Dan a tight deadline to deliver the puppy to the authorities. Dan found himself in an uncomfortable situation, in which he did not know how to move: he did not want to hand over Diggy but he had no idea how to avoid breaking the law. Should he deliver the dog? Or move to continue living together? Whatever he was going to do, he had to do it quickly.
Time passed and the expiration date arrived. Dan refused to hand over the dog, knowing it was a very good animal, but this resulted in a subpoena for violating the town's pit bull ban. Dan was shocked by the decision and decided to contact the only person who could help him: Kristina Rinaldi of Detroit Dog Rescue. Kristina did not hold back in helping Diggy and her master, and so they went together to the police station to defend their position.
Both Dan and Kristina knew that Diggy would not be a threat to the city. Additionally, Kristina had worked with pit bulls for years and knew very well that ** stereotypes about this breed were completely unfounded **. Banning a dog breed in a city was wrong, in their view. Together the two gave their opinion on the affair to the agents of the police station, but they would never have imagined what would happen next ...
Attempts by Dan and Kristina were in vain, Diggy continued to be deemed dangerous, plus the owner was fined for violating the city's pit bull policy. Dan had to pay a ** $ 500 fine ** and could even suffer further consequences if he continued to keep the dog. But the owner of the dog noticed that ** the police did not notice a crucial detail of the animal **, which could have changed the situation definitively.
At this point Dan wanted to see clearly, and so he went to rummage through the documents of the adoption of Diggy. When he went to read them he noticed that his dog belonged to the ** American Bulldog breed and not the Pitbull ** breed. Dan went on a rampage: The community member who reported the photo was wrong about the dog's breed, causing him and his family not a few problems. Dan therefore reiterated his willingness not to part with Diggy, this time with documents in his favor. ** The two friends were about to go viral once again ... **
Throughout this period Dan ** was documenting Diggy's story on social networks . The duo had found some success and had created a real fanbase. Dan hoped that by sharing the story someone could help him, and indeed they did! ** Evidence has come from around the world to support Dan and his four-legged friend , so much so that even the Michigan Humane Society has stepped forward to help take a big step.
This fanbase therefore rallied to Diggy and Dan's aid, pointing to an ** online petition ** in support of them, demonstrating that many were against the police decision. The petition exposed the entire story of the two protagonists, underlining that the main mistake lies in having mistaken the breed of Diggy, as well as specifying how the prejudices against pit bulls were wrong.
Even though Dan had won his battle, because he could keep Diggy as a member of the American Bulldog breed, he knew he had to use the opportunity to ** defend all the pit bulls in the world **. He was aware that they could be aggressive, but this is the result of a ** bad behavior of the owners ** who often mistreat these dogs. Dan considered the city law too excessive, which punished only dogs and not bad owners. Both he and his supporters knew this. But would they be able to make everyone understand?
Diggy and Dan had gone viral on the internet again. Their petition quickly made the rounds of the main social platforms, reaching 54,000 signatures in a few days. Stunned by the great support he gained online, Dan was persuaded to hire a lawyer and get to the bottom of this story. ** He would have done anything not to abandon poor Diggy **.
In this story there was something else that did not add up: how could a dog expert like Kristina Rinaldi not be aware of the pit bull ban in the city? In fact he was aware of it all right! Before putting Diggy up for adoption, she inquired whether American Bulldogs were accepted in the city of Waterford, given the ban on the pit bull breed, and local authorities replied in the affirmative. This was long before Dan and Diggy met, and this testimony strengthened the two friends' position. But the police were not of the same opinion, so they had to go to the courts. What would they decide?
The case hit the headlines, so a town meeting was called to resolve the issue. Dan was expecting a few people, but when he found himself in front of ** hundreds of people who came to support him ** he was pleasantly surprised! The story of the two friends had struck the hearts of many people who had come to defend their rights. These people were horrified by the way the authorities and some community members had identified poor Diggy and were ready to reiterate their disdain outside Waterford Town Hall.
But the thing that made Dan happy most was that in the crowd, who supported their cause, there were many Waterford inhabitants. Many of them believed that the ban on having pit bulls was an outdated law, showing how neighboring towns had abolished similar rules years ago. ** No one was happy that their money, paid in taxes, was used in the fight against the owners of pit bulls rather than in more useful things **. Now they were demanding the repeal of this senseless law.
To support Diggy came many veterinary experts, who have dealt with Pitbulls in their professional life and who simply owned one and knew very well that ** the prejudices about this breed were unfounded **. They showed data on how other breeds had bitten more people than the one they were banning and how this rule penalized the dog and not the bad owner, who was primarily responsible for the violence.
Dan and his girlfriend were delighted with all the support they received, but that wasn't going to fix things. Diggy was still considered a dangerous animal and the court had yet to rule on the puppy's fate. The couple trusted in justice, but they couldn't help but think the worst. What would happen to poor Diggy? Would the court rule against or in favor of the case?
After months of grueling fighting, the 51st District Court dismissed Dan and Diggy's case. This meant that ** the puppy could stay indoors with its owner , the authorities had no right to prevent it. ** Waterford City Law was deemed obsolete : The new provision required that only veterinarians could determine dog breeds, not police officers. The joy of Dan and his partner was overwhelming!
The story they lived only strengthened the bond Dan and Diggy had. For this reason, the boy decided to ** show all the love he felt for his four-legged friend with a tattoo in his honor **. This was the symbol of all the bad times they had spent together but managed to overcome.
The story of Dan and Diggy shows how ** prejudices can ruin people's lives and their loved ones **. Luckily their story ended for the best, but Pit Bulls are still seen as dangerous dogs around the world. Being an animal, any dog is potentially dangerous if it is not cared for and trained properly; the Pitbull, however, has a bad name, due to misconceptions. Many think that the bite of this breed is the most powerful among dogs, but this is a wrong perception: several studies have shown that the strength of the Pitbull's bite is less compared to other "bulldogs". Added to this is the misconception, but widespread, of the "blocked jaw", which would give this breed even more danger than it actually has.
Pitbulls in the collective imagination are seen as extremely dangerous dogs, but this is a mistake. According to the ASPCA (animal welfare agency) ** "a well socialized and well-bred pit bull is one of the sweetest, smartest and kindest dogs imaginable" **. According to the vice president of the ASPCA's Animal Behavior Center in New York, Pamela Reid, Pit Bulls are no more aggressive than other breeds, at best they can be "less tolerant" with other peers. This would be due to “a great tenacity. They set their sights on something and they do it. This makes them excellent dogs for sports such as shot put. They are very strong and athletic animals ”.
However, it remains necessary to specify that, despite the good words spent in favor of Pitbulls, ** the owners of this breed have some drawbacks . According to WebMD, pit bull owners may have to deal with "rising insurance rates or policy cancellations, rental problems and the watchful eye of neighbors and passers-by." These are common difficulties that Dan also faced, despite his dog being not a Pitbull but a similar breed, and all the people of Waterford Township, but they ** continued to fight for the rights of these beautiful animals .