‘Baffled’: US woman faces charges for rescuing abandoned dog from freezing snowstorm

An American woman is facing legal trouble after rescuing a dog abandoned during a recent snowstorm. Dason Garner, a veterinary technician and groomer, took in a labradoodle she saw being dumped on a porch through a Ring doorbell video, but deputies say she did not follow proper procedures.Garner was charged with keeping a stray animal, failure to surrender, and interfering with law enforcement after she refused to turn the dog over to authorities. Extreme cold can be dangerous for anyone, including pets, and Garner said she could not take the dog to a shelter because of its condition.”In her condition, [and] as a vet tech and as a groomer, I don’t foresee her coming like that,” Garner told WRAL News. “She wouldn’t stand a chance in a shelter.”Garner added: “It’s very heartbreaking, I don’t understand how you can do that something so lovable. She was so sweet.”

The dog had gone missing for two months before Garner found it. Less than 24 hours after the rescue, the animal was returned to its owner. The person who abandoned the dog in the video, Ashley Baker, has been charged with abandonment of an animal.Garner said she is confused and frustrated about facing charges after trying to save the dog. “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. I mean, I have a 2-year-old son, and I just started back to work.”A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said Garner was charged because deputies repeatedly instructed her to surrender the dog, including reaching out to her family.Garner urged people not to abandon animals and said she would act the same way again if another pet’s life were at risk. “Reach out to anybody. Anybody who has a heart for animals will gladly take them,” she said.Garner is due in court later this month. Her family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover her legal expenses. The dog’s owner expressed deep gratitude for Garner’s actions.