Famous Smiling Dog Against the Law in Adopted Home

Waterford Township, MI — The delightful smiles of a dog and his rescuer that lit up the internet earlier this week dimmed after officials were asked to investigate whether Sir Wiggleton, or Diggy as musician Dan Tillery renamed him, violate Waterford Township’s dangerous dog ordinance that bans pit bulls and pit bull mixes.

It’s an understatement to say the internet fell in love with the dog. 

A post on a Detroit Dog Rescue Facebook page showing the smiling duo has garnered 27,000 likes, thousands of shares and national media coverage, including stories by ABC’s “Good Morning America” and People magazine.

In a statement Friday, Detroit Dog Rescue said officers were dispatched to the musician’s home to follow up on complaints “alleging the dog is a pit bull and therefore violates city ordinance.”

“Based on their visual inspection they concluded he was a pit bull,” according to the statement.

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Diggy was licensed as required by the ordinance and Tillery said the dog was an American bulldog, a breed that isn’t banned in the ordinance.

When the rescue group put Sir Wiggleton’s photo on its Facebook page, he was described as “a 2-year old American Bulldog/pit bull mix.” However, paperwork from Detroit Dog Rescue, the city of Detroit and the city’s veterinarian indicate the dog is an American bulldog.

Waterford Township Police Lt. Todd Hasselbach said Diggy can remain in Tillery’s home if a veterinarian confirms his breed.

“If he can show that it’s not (a pit bull), then it’ll be fine,” Hasselbach told The Detroit News. “He just has to keep those papers on him because his neighbors are gonna keep calling.”

It’s a tough break for a dog that likely had a tough life before Detroit Dog Rescue Executive Director Kristina Rinaldi found the dog in early March.

The tender-hearted Rinaldi told The Detroit News that she when she already had a van full of dogs, but couldn't leave him behind. He was “in a tiny cage just kind of hanging with his head down,” sh said.

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“He had a sparkle in his eye that he needed to get out. ... I definitely did not want to see him euthanized,” she said.

The dog fairly wiggled out of the cage, earning him the Sir Wiggleton handle.

Rinaldi and Tillery planned to discuss the issue at a Friday afternoon press conference.a

Image credits: Detroit Dog Rescue photos used with permission