A kind North Carolina woman who took in a stray dog she saw dumped in the street during a recent snow storm has been charged by police.
Dason Garner saw Ring doorbell footage of someone dumping the frightened female labradoodle pup on a front porch in Wilson County on Saturday, where temperatures dropped to a bone-chilling 21F.
Garner, a vet tech and groomer, said she scooped the dog and took her back to her house before contacting animal control, WRAL reported.
They told her to bring the stray in but Garner declined, saying the matted dog was too neglected to be put in a shelter.
‘In her condition, [and] as a vet tech and as a groomer, I don’t foresee her coming like that,’ Garner said.
‘She wouldn’t stand a chance in a shelter.’
Less than a day later, Garner said she was able to contact the dog’s original owner and found out she had been missing for months.
The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office later identified Ashley Baker as the person who abandoned the dog in the video and charged her. To her surprise, Garner was also charged.
A woman, later identified as Ashley Baker, is seen dumping a matted stray pup on a stranger’s front porch after a subzero snowstorm
Dason Garner, a vet tech and groomer, rescued the pup and returned it to its rightful owner
A sheriff’s spokesperson told WRAL she had been charged because she allegedl repeatedly refused to surrender the dog despite the office even contacting her family members.
‘I’m baffled. I’m confused. I have a lot of hard feelings right now. Unexpected court costs [and] lawyers’ fees, all of this adds up,’ she said.
Garner added that the financial strain is hitting her hard as she has a two-year-old son and has just returned to work.
She said she would do it all over again to save an animal in need if she had to. The original dog owner expressed deep gratitude for Garner’s actions.
Garner is due in court later in February, and her family started a GoFundMe to help cover legal expenses, with a $6,000 goal.
‘I never imagined that helping rescue a dog would turn my life upside down – but here I am.,’ her GoFundMe read.
Garner started a GoFundMe to help raise money to cover the staggering legal expenses for the ordeal
‘What started as an act of compassion has resulted in criminal charges, and I’m now facing significant legal expenses.
‘I’ve always believed in standing up for those who can’t speak for themselves, and when I saw a dog in distress, I felt compelled to help,’ it continued.
‘If you believe in doing the right thing, in helping those without a voice, or in supporting a mom who’s trying to hold it all together – thank you. Your support truly matters.’
