NC-Woman shelters pets in wake of Florence, gets arrested

[Anti Federalist]

She tried to shelter pets from Hurricane Florence. Now she’s been arrested.

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/st...218785765.html

September 21, 2018 11:05 AM

Updated 5 hours 49 minutes ago

This story was updated as of 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018.

The director of an animal rescue nonprofit in North Carolina said she was just trying to do the right thing by taking in pets stranded by Hurricane Florence. Wayne County officials arrested her, the rescue says.

Crazy’s Claws N’ Paws in Goldsboro turned over 27 dogs and cats on Monday after Wayne County animal services determined the group was operating an unregistered animal shelter, The (Goldsboro) News-Argus first reported.

On Friday, the rescue posted on its Facebook page to say that Crazy’s Claws N’ Paws founder and director Tammie Hedges had been arrested and transported to the Wayne County Detention Center.

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Some of NC’s wild horses weathered Florence fine. Others still aren’t accounted for yet.
Hedges was released later that day on a $10,000 unsecured bond, the rescue said on Facebook, and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 17.

Hedges was charged with 12 counts of misdemeanor “practice/attempt veterinary medicine without a license” and one count of “solicitation of a Schedule 4 controlled substance,” according to a statement from Wayne County posted to the county’s Facebook page on Friday.

“On Monday, September 17, 2018, Wayne County Animal Services responded to 152 NC Highway 581 in Goldsboro at the request of the NC State Department of Agriculture. Wayne County Animal Services made contact with Ms. Tammie Hedges and upon entering the facility they developed serious concerns regarding the practice of veterinary medicine without a license and the presence of controlled substances,” Wayne County said in the statement.

The animals that were surrendered “were checked out by a licensed veterinarian and Animal Services is working to reunite them with their owners,” according to the county’s statement.

Wayne County animal services “turned the case over to the Wayne County District Attorney’s office based on suspicion of practicing veterinarian medicine without a license and presence of controlled substances ... Ms. Hedges is considered innocent until proven guilty,” according to the county’s statement.

The rescue said on Facebook that Hedges was charged because she tried to administering medication to animals in need when local veterinarians were inaccessible. The Schedule 4 controlled substance was a medication for the animals, the rescue said.

The rescue kept the animals in a temporary warehouse space in Rosewood, according to The News-Argus report. The nonprofit — which serves Wayne, Johnston, Lenoir and Wilson counties — currently operates out of pet foster homes.

North Carolina statutes require a certificate of registration issued by the Animal Welfare Section in order to operate an animal shelter.

[kpitcher]

It always amazes me how states have so many regulations and licensing requirements but typically don't care unless it's medical or legal. Local guy says he's a plumber? Roofer? HVAC tech? but isn't actually licensed? Jobs that not done right could cost large sums of money to fix properly. Pfft, whatever, just keep sending in your yearly payments and don't bother complaining with those fly by nights.

An unlicensed person gives some medicine to animals because the actual vets are closed, put that person in jail!

I think we can tell which groups have the better lobbyists.

[Schifference]

It always amazes me how states have so many regulations and licensing requirements but typically don't care unless it's medical or legal. Local guy says he's a plumber? Roofer? HVAC tech? but isn't actually licensed? Jobs that not done right could cost large sums of money to fix properly. Pfft, whatever, just keep sending in your yearly payments and don't bother complaining with those fly by nights.

An unlicensed person gives some medicine to animals because the actual vets are closed, put that person in jail!

I think we can tell which groups have the better lobbyists.

I think you are mistaken about them not caring if you do plumbing, HVAC or anything else without a license. All it takes is for them to be made aware of it and they will enforce the law.

[kpitcher]

I think you are mistaken about them not caring if you do plumbing, HVAC or anything else without a license. All it takes is for them to be made aware of it and they will enforce the law.

Actually I made a formal complaint against someone advertising plumbing services that requires a licensed plumber in my state. Normally I don't care, in this case for a variety of reasons I found the person worth calling out. The state licensing board told me that enforcement is not part of their charter, it falls to the local prosecutor to decide if they want to press charges.

I contacted my local prosecutor. In this case my supporting evidence were multitudes of facebook posts to area groups. In the prosecutors opinion, posting "I am a plumber, call me at xxx-xxxx" to various facebook groups with thousands of people in it doesn't count as advertising so the person did nothing wrong. As such I would have to find someone who actually paid for plumbing work done that would require a license, and have them complain to the prosecutor. Simply showing that work was done would not be enough.

It seemed rather obvious that the prosecutor didn't think it'd be worth their time, be very news worthy, nor career enhancing, to fine someone a few hundred dollars for breaking the laws for plumbing.

However that response did let me contact my various state reps and ask them to remove the licensing laws in our state. Oddly enough I never got a response on that one, not even the basic form letter of 'thank you for contacting my office'

[Schifference]

Well don't try to sell lemonade or feed or cut the hair of homeless.

[Swordsmyth]

Here’s who you can contact to help Tammy Hedges

If you want to make your voice heard, here’s the contact information for those involved in prosecuted Ms. Hedges for being a good Samaritan. Your best bet is to be courteous when contacting them, but with a big enough outcry, hopefully, they’ll decide these charges are too much of a hassle.

Craig Honeycutt, County Manager 919-731-1435Craig.honeycutt@waynegov.com
Larry Pierce, Sheriff 9197311481
George Wayne Aycock, Commissioner at Large.
wayne.aycock@waynegov.com
E.B. Borden Parker, County Attorney, 919-735-7275
E. Ray Mayo District 1 ray.mayo@waynegov.com
Edward Cromartie District 2
Edward.Cromartie@waynegov.com
John M Bell District 3
John.Bell@waynegov.com
Joe Gurley District 4
Joe.Gurley@waynegov.com
Bill Pate District 5
Bill.Pate@waynegov.com
Joe Daughtery District 6
joe.daughtery@waynegov.com

Here’s an online petition you can sign, asking for the charges to be dropped: https://www.facebook.com/petition/?i...c_location=ufi
Here’s a fund started for Ms. Hedge’s legal defense: https://www.gofundme.com/tammie-hedges-legal-battle
It costs nothing to stir up a fuss and send some emails. If you’re as bothered by this government overreach as I am, please drop these people a line and let them know.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...on-and-how-you

[phill4paul]

After more than 10k complaints through online petitions charges have, grudgingly, been dropped.

The Wayne County District Attorney's Office has dropped charges against a woman who was accused of running an illegal veterinary operation when sheltering animals during Hurricane Florence.

Tammie Hedges was facing 12 counts of misdemeanor practice/attempt veterinary medicine without a license and one count of solicitation of a schedule IV controlled substance. She was charged Friday.

District Attorney Matthew Delbridge released a statement that read in part:

"It is my desire that having ensured the safety of the animals in question, a dismissal of these criminal charges will minimize further distraction from my core mission of protecting the public from violent crime and allow the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board to take whatever action they may deem appropriate.“

Since she was initially charged on Friday, more than 10,000 people signed online petitions demanding that all charges against Hedges be dropped.

https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-new...nce/1475179227

[Swordsmyth]

After more than 10k complaints through online petitions charges have, grudgingly, been dropped.

Good! But the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board may yet attack:

and allow the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board to take whatever action they may deem appropriate.

[kpitcher]

Charges shouldn't just be dropped, a law is a law. How about changing the law so some other helpful person doesn't get slapped around?