As the saying goes, โno good deed goes unpunishedโ and good samaritan Tammie Hedgesโ story is proof of it.
A North Carolina resident, Hedges is also the owner of a non-profit animal rescue center called Crazyโs Claws N Paws.
This pet savior is in legal trouble after deciding to take in more than a dozen pets left behind by their owners who had to evacuate in anticipation of Hurricane Florence.
Saving left behind pets from disaster
In total, Hedges had 17 cats and 10 dogs in her care. The lot also included 18 pets, some which had health issues and injuries, dropped off by an elderly couple.
โThe owners got to evacuate. They got to save themselves. But whoโs going to save those animals? Thatโs what we did. We saved them.โ
โ Hedges said in an interview with USA Today.
Hurricanes and pets
She also reminisced about the other horrible memories of previous hurricanes that hit their town of Wayne County:
โOur mission was to save as many animals from the flood that we could. We went through Hurricane Matthew, and it was horrible. There were many preventable deaths.โ
However, she was soon called by the Wayne County Animal Control office informing her that she didnโt have a permit to keep the animals safe.
โHe basically told me, โYou can voluntarily hand over the animals, or I can go get a warrant.โ โ
Hedges then willingly surrendered the animals to authorities.
Charged with 12 counts of illegal veterinary practice
But it seems like the countyโs animal control office is set on not letting this act of kindness go unchecked.
A few days after the animals were surrendered, Hedges was called in to be questioned. She would be arrested later on. A bulk of the charges brought against Hedges were 12 counts of โpracticing medicine without a veterinary license.โ This included the supposedly illegal administering of over the counter drugs such as antibiotics and ointments to pets, many of which could be bought over the counter at a pet store.
According to Raina Nyliram, a volunteer animal rescuer working with the non-profit, they had no choice because the vetโs office was closed during the hurricane:
โShe couldnโt get the animals to the vet because the vet was closed. All the charges are bogus.โ
Unfazed and unbowed
Realizing the unfair treatment of Tammy Hedges by authorities, the countyโs residents have rallied behind her.
A crowdfunding campaign has even been created in order to help Hedges pay for her legal fees.
On the brighter side of things, Crazyโs Claws N Paws seems unfazed by the obstacle. Volunteers of the non-profit are still working to take care of other animals left in the shelter and are seeking to help those who are left behind in other households.
They have also collected dog food to help out pets and owners who have been affected by the storm.
A recent post on the shelterโs Facebook page states that the efforts have helped and the charges have been dropped, although they still worry that there may be future charges:
โWe are very blessed that the charges against our founder, Tammie Hedges, have been dismissed. We remain optimistic that no other charges will be filed, and that this is the end to a terrible, terrible situation. We hope to devote time and energy to our rescue, Crazyโs Claws N Paws, and to our renovation of our dream project. We strive for a lifelong dedication to working with state and local law enforcement to make North Carolina safe for our animals.
We cannot begin to express our heartfelt appreciation for the outpouring of support, globally, for CCNPโs founder, Tammie Hedges.โ
Maybe things do work out in the end.
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