Tim Keenan

Tim Keenan is a minor character in Jack London's 1906 novel White Fang. He is the owner of Cherokee.

He was portrayed by Michael Davis Lally in the 1991 Disney film, where he is renamed as Sykes.

Biography
When Cherokee and White Fang fight, Keenan is somewhat of a passive onlooker, and he is not resentful when Weedon Scott breaks up the fight between the two dogs.

History
Upon becoming a vicious fighting dog, White Fang mercilessly kills several dogs and animals (including several wolves and a lynx). Running out of competitors, he is soon faced to battle Cherokee, a bulldog owned by Tim Keenan.

Initially, the two animals are hesitant to attack each other, as they appear to display confusion and nervousness. However, the curiosity between the two opponents soon diminishes as Cherokee makes the first strike by attempting to lunge at White Fang.

Already anticipating Cherokee's assault, White Fang effectively reacts by narrowly evading Cherokee's attack. Although White Fang manages to partially injure him by wounding his neck and slashing off his back ear, Cherokee gains the upper hand and critically wounds White Fang by sinking his sharp and thick teeth into his neck.

The feisty Bulldog would have easily killed White Fang if the fight had not been disrupted by Weedon Scott, a young and sincere miner who rescued White Fang at the last moment.

Though not stated directly, it is presumed that Cherokee was transported back to his home place by Tim Keenan.