You may have seen the viral photo of Diggy the dog’s big smile. Musician Dan Tillery adopted the pup and snapped a selfie with him in his new forever home, and it looked like the two of them couldn’t be happier together. It should have been a happily-ever-after ending to their story. But Tillery lives in Waterford Township near Detroit where there is a Pit Bull ban. Police showed up to his door and, after a brief inspection of the dog, demanded that Diggy get out of town. And the thing is, Diggy’s not even a Pit Bull.
Diggy is actually registered as an American Bulldog. He even has adoption papers from the City of Detroit Animal Control and Welfare, as well as confirmation from the veterinarian that he is not a Pit Bull. But apparently the visual inspection of two non-veterinarian officers is enough to overturn all of that, even though it’s almost impossible to accurately identify a Pit Bull without genetic testing, and the term Pit Bull itself refers to many breeds and can be applied to many mixed-breeds dogs, also. You may be thinking that this all seems very confusing and arbitrary, and you’re right. That’s part of what makes Breed Specific Legislation so silly in the first place.
Diggy has had an outpouring of support from fans who saw his smiling face and want him to stay in his forever home, including an online petition that has over 100K signatures. Tillery has since found legal representation to help him keep Diggy in his home, and a hearing has been set for August 11th. Until then, Diggy is safe with his family. Hopefully the court will come to their senses and find that Diggy belongs with his family.
Do you think Diggy should be able to stay at his home? Do you think we should put an end to Breed Specific Legislation? Let us know in the comments below!
