Criminal charges dropped against vet who saved dog

2015-05-21T11:02:28-04:00

This story was originally published on wusa9.com:
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ATHENS, Ga. — Authorities dropped charges against a veteran who broke a window to free a dog from a hot car, a prosecutor said Monday.

Michael Hammons, 46, who fought in Iraq during the first Iraq war, jumped into action May 9 when he saw a dog inside of a rapidly heating Mustang at a Athens-area shopping center. He broke the window of the car with a piece of his wife's wheelchair to free the dog.

A group of shoppers had been worried about the Yorkie mix before Hammons' action and called police. The owner, whose name was not released, said she had been gone 5 minutes.

"I knew the dog was in distress," Diane McGuire-Byard of Commerce, Ga., told the Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald.

Afterward at the insistence of the dog's owner, Hammons was arrested for criminal trespass, sparking a debate over the need for laws protecting animals.

On Wednesday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it will be awarding Hammons its Compassionate Action Award. PETA officials said temperatures inside a parked car can jump quickly to 100 to 120 degrees — even on a mild, 78-degree day like Saturday.

Current Georgia law allows someone to break a window to save a person, but not an animal.

"The laws need to be changed to protect the animals, not necessarily the people," said Mark Martin, a pet store owner who rallied around Hammons' cause. "We are the voices for the animals; they can't speak for themselves."

A local Ford dealer offered to replace the smashed car window for free.

Ken Mauldin, district attorney for the Superior Court of Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties, said the car's owner agreed with his decision to drop the charges.

http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/18/man-saves-dog-arrest/27546059/

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made May 21 at 2015 11:04 AM

2015-05-21T11:04:31-04:00

As well they should be!!!

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made May 21 at 2015 11:14 AM

2015-05-21T11:14:05-04:00

"When the police arrived, the driver of the Mustang had officers arrest Mr Hammons. The driver was cited for leaving the dog inside a hot car.

It is legal in Georgia for a bystander to break a car’s window to free a child from a hot car, but the state does not have a law that allows the same for dogs."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/georgia-army-veteran-arrested-for-breaking-window-to-save-dog-has-charges-dropped-10262106.html

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made May 21 at 2015 11:17 AM

2015-05-21T11:17:06-04:00

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made May 21 at 2015 11:17 AM

2015-05-21T11:17:29-04:00

Charges should be brought up on the dog owner!

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made May 21 at 2015 12:15 PM

2015-05-21T12:15:38-04:00

I wonder why the owner wasn't charge for animal neglect/ abuse because there were pictures. This incident could have caused her so much grief in her person life and work due to negative PR.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 21 at 2015 1:20 PM

2015-05-21T13:20:54-04:00

A better question might be, "How far are you willing to go to do the right thing?" Somtimes doing whats right had consequences. In other words, if you knew jail or a fine would be the result of saving a pet, would you still do it?

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made May 21 at 2015 1:30 PM

2015-05-21T13:30:36-04:00

Great story! I would have smashed the window as well if the dog was about to suffer a medical problem.

Response by SMSgt Dan Powell made May 21 at 2015 3:40 PM

2015-05-21T15:40:47-04:00

I think the owner of the car should be sentenced to be locked up in a car, in the sun herself. Some stupidity is hard to penetrate. Someone needs to buy Mr. Hammons a cold beer.

Response by PO1 John Miller made May 22 at 2015 12:02 AM

2015-05-22T00:02:03-04:00

People who leave their children in a car can have them (the children) taken away from them. It should be the same for people who leave pets in the car. Unfortunately I know that's not a viable option, what with animal shelters being at or over capacity all over the country.

When I have to leave my own dog in my SUV, I leave the windows down far enough that he can get some air (all four windows), I park in some shade if it is available, and I limit my time away from my vehicle. Luckily I've trained my dog well enough that he won't jump out of the vehicle since I leave the windows down far enough that he could wiggle out if he wanted to. I've got a Labrador Retriever so he's pretty big.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Mar 19 at 2023 11:13 AM

2023-03-19T11:13:42-04:00

thanks for sharing