Arrest made in North Carolina of woman for ~checks notes~ rescuing pets during Florence

WTF is wrong with prosecutors in North Carolina?

Saving pets without a permit: Good Samaritan arrested after helping animals survive Florence https://t.co/36SBTAKKr0 pic.twitter.com/m4yj5QxWff

— First Coast News (@FCN2go) September 23, 2018

This is every bit as bad as it sounds. In summary, the woman who was arrested, Tammie Hedges, runs a charity animal rescue shelter and she opened her doors up to people fleeing Hurricane Florence so their pets could be kept safe. But

From First Coast News:

As Hurricane Florence barreled toward the Carolina coast, Tammie Hedges took action to protect pets that might have otherwise been caught in the storm – a decision that led to her arrest.

Hedges, a resident of Wayne County, North Carolina, was taken into custody Friday after providing care to more than two dozen animals – 17 cats and 10 dogs – for owners who had to evacuate before the storm hit.

But because some of the animals were sick and Ms. Hedges gave them medicine, she was arrested for “practicing medicine without a veterinary licence”:

On Monday, after Florence passed, Hedges got a call from Wayne County Animal Control regarding the animals.

“He basically told me, ‘You can voluntarily hand over the animals, or I can go get a warrant,’ ” Hedges said.

She willingly surrendered the animals.

“A few days later they called me in for questioning and yesterday they arrested me,” Hedges said.

The charges included 12 counts of practicing medicine without a veterinary license.

Tammie has been released on an unsecured bond of $10k. She is charged with the following: 1 count of administering amoxicillin to Big Momma, 1 count of administering Tramadol to Big Momma, 3 counts of administering amoxicillin to a white Siamese cat, 3 counts of administering a topical antibiotic ointment (triple antibiotic from Dollar Tree) to a white Siamese cat, 3 counts of administering amoxicillin to a cat known as Sweet Pea, 1 count of administering amoxicillin to an unnamed black kitten, and 1 count of solicitation to commit a crime (asking for donation of Tramadol (that was suppose to be a request for a vet)).

Her court date is 10/17 at 1:30pm in Courtroom 3 at the Wayne County Courthouse. She has a consultation with a lawyer next Tuesday afternoon, but if anyone has a lawyer who will represent her pro bono, she would be happy to talk with them.

Unless there’s more to the story than that, however, Ms. Hedges is a hero and these charges need to be dropped:

This woman is a hero, and we have forgotten what government is for and how it relates to civil society. https://t.co/iGYvobcIqO

— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) September 23, 2018

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Before and after photos show the devastation to coastal North Carolina from Hurricane Florence https://t.co/VNf06p2KXC

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 18, 2018

Coast Guard responds to video showing alleged white power gesture during Florence update https://t.co/P61lT20Ngq

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 15, 2018