A North Carolina woman who rescued an abandoned dog has been charged with refusing to turn the dog over to the authorities.
The woman, Dason Garner, told station WRAL that after she saw a doorbell camera video of some random person abandoning a dog at another random person’s front door, she decided to rescue said dog.
“It’s very heartbreaking,” she told the station. “I don’t understand how you can do that something so lovable. She was so sweet.”
So Wilson found the dog, took it home with her, and then reached out to Animal Control, which in turn demanded she bring the dog to them. But Garner refused, arguing that the dog was in no condition to spend time in a shelter.
“In her condition, [and] as a vet tech and as a groomer, I don’t foresee her coming like that,” she explained to WRAL. “She wouldn’t stand a chance in a shelter.”
North Carolina charges filed after a woman rescued a stray dog dumped during a snowstorm — the rescuer now faces charges alongside the abandoner.pic.twitter.com/03bljcRKLU
— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) February 4, 2026
The good news is that within 24 hours, Garner found the dog’s true owner. It turns out the dog had gone missing months earlier.
The even better news is that the stranger who abandoned the dog, Ashley Baker, has been charged.
The bad, stunning news is that Garner was charged as well.
“I’m baffled, I’m confused,” she told WRAL. “I have a lot of hard feelings right now. Unexpected court costs [and] lawyers’ fees, all of this adds up. I mean, have a 2-year-old son, and I just started back to work.”
A spokesperson for the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office told WRAL that she was charged because she’d refused multiple times to hand the dog over.
But Garner has pushed back by arguing that the dog would have died in the blistering cold had she not intervened.
She also penned a lengthy Facebook post about how “broken” she was over being charged:
This situation has completely broken me in ways I never imagined. I was only trying to help a dog who was suffering,…
Posted by Dason Bailey Garner on Tuesday, February 3, 2026
“This situation has completely broken me in ways I never imagined,” she wrote. “I was only trying to help a dog who was suffering, cold, and in need. I acted out of compassion, instinct, and love for an animal that could not help itself. To now be wrongfully charged for doing what I believed was the right thing has caused deep emotional pain that I carry now.”
“Being punished for trying to protect a vulnerable dog has left me feeling devastated, confused, and betrayed by a system that was supposed to value life and kindness. I never acted with malice or selfish intent. I acted because I could not walk away and leave an animal to suffer. Knowing that this act of mercy has been twisted into wrongdoing has shattered my sense of fairness and justice,” she added.
The final bit of good news for Garner is that the social media platform X is full of people who support her.
Look:
WTH is going on in North Carolina? This woman is a hero.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 4, 2026
Meanwhile, they let criminals walk free again and again… absolutely shameful
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) February 4, 2026
The woman who abandoned the dog should be in trouble. The woman who took care of the abandoned dog should be praised.
What is wrong with some people’s minds?
— Richard Jeffery Jr (@ImAdapt73) February 5, 2026
Saw this attitude from local power all my life. You must obey me or else. You can start with HOA and move right up the ranks to whatever titled person is measuring you up as you plead your case.
— roughtown (@roughtown110839) February 5, 2026
I see SO many stories where people report animals being neglected and left in the cold to starve and freeze and they do nothing. Yet someone tries to do right by an animal and THEN they use the law to actually go after someone? Our society is run by idiots and demons.
— HallsInTheKid (@HallsInTheKid) February 4, 2026
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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