A veterinary technician from North Carolina was left “completely broken” after being charged and fired from her job for rescuing a dog that was abandoned in the middle of a winter storm.
Dason Garner saw doorbell footage of a person, later identified as Ashley Baker, walking up to a neighbor’s front porch, dropping off the canine, and running away.
Highlights
- Dason Garner was charged and fired after rescuing an abandoned dog during a winter storm in North Carolina.
- The vet tech refused to surrender the dog to animal control, citing her expertise and concern for the dog's survival in a shelter.
- The abandoned labradoodle's owner, Ashley Baker, was later charged with animal abandonment following the incident.
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“It hurts deeply to be labeled a criminal for choosing empathy over indifference,” the vet said.
“To now be wrongfully charged for doing what I believed was the right thing has caused deep emotional pain that I carry now.”
Garner took the dog in, in Wilson County, and called animal control to report the abandoned pet, only to be told to bring the animal in for an investigation, as per WRAL.
The woman refused to follow the order, insisting that her expertise made her fit to care for the animal at her home and that the dog would not survive in a shelter.
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“In her condition, and as a vet tech and as a groomer, I don’t foresee her coming like that. She wouldn’t stand a chance in a shelter,” Garner said of the abandoned labradoodle.
“It’s very heartbreaking,” she added. “I don’t understand how you can do that [to] something so lovable. She was so sweet.”
The vet now faces charges for keeping a stray animal, failure to surrender, and interfering with law enforcement over her act of compassion, according to WRAL.
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Wilson, where Garner rescued the dog, recorded upward of 11 inches of snow over the weekend, with temperatures dropping to 21°F (-6°C).
On Wednesday (February 4), Garner said she was fired from her position at an animal clinic following her good deed.
“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,” the animal lover wrote on Facebook.
“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,” she added.
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The mother has stood by her decision despite the consequences it has had on her financial situation and mental health.
“My reputation has been damaged, my character questioned, and my compassion, something I have always been proud of, used against me,” she expressed.
“Knowing that this act of mercy has been twisted into wrongdoing has shattered my sense of fairness and justice.”
Dason Garner was fired and charged for not turning the abandoned dog over to animal control
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“I would make the same choice again if it meant saving a life, yet I am now left carrying the emotional scars of being punished for doing what my conscience demanded,” Garner insisted on Facebook.
She said she has many flaws, but her compassion and love for animals were something that could not be questioned.
The woman explained that she was “baffled” to be punished for her actions and to be facing unexpected court costs and lawyers' fees.
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Less than 24 hours after Garner found the dog, she contacted the rightful owner to give her the labradoodle pup. Baker has since been charged with abandonment of an animal.
A spokesperson for the Wilson County Sheriff's Office said Garner was charged because she was told to surrender the dog multiple times, adding that authorities had also contacted her family members.
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Garner urged anyone considering abandoning a pet to reach out for help instead of leaving animals in the middle of the street.
"Reach out to anybody. Anybody who has a heart for animals will gladly take them," she stressed.
The animal lover, who is due in court later this month, has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover her legal expenses.
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The page, titled Help Dason Fight for Justice & Family, has raised over $14,000 at the time of writing.
“At the end of the day, this was always about a dog who is now safely back home with her rightful owner. That should be the focus,” the vet noted, adding that she has already retained a lawyer.
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