Army vet arrested after saving dog from hot car

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Army veteran Michael Hammons is under arrest – and he says he wouldn’t think twice about breaking the same law that landed him in jail all over again.

When Hammons arrived at an Athens, Georgia shopping center, he was met by several shoppers standing around a car, concerned for a dog inside, with the windows rolled completely up, no water, and showing signs of distress. The concerned shoppers had already called police, but Hammons couldn’t stand to leave the dog suffering until help arrived.

“I knew there’d be consequences, but it didn’t matter. Glass, they make new glass every day, but they could never replace that dog,” he explained to MyFoxAtlanta.

Using the footrest of his wife’s wheelchair, Hammons broke the car window to retrieve the dog, a tiny Pomeranian mix.

When the owner came outside, she was irate.

“She said you broke my window, and I said I did. She says why would you do that? I said to save your dog.” said Hammons.

Video: Man Who Saved A Dog Trapped Inside A Hot Car Gets Arrested ft. David So

The owner insisted she’d only been inside the store for about 5 minutes, although other shoppers insist the was away for much longer. When police arrived, she insisted that charges be filed against the man that saved her dog.

The Oconee County Police Chief Deputy Lee Weems said he understands why Hammons did what he did. And, although they didn’t want to charge him with any crime, they had no choice because of the car owner’s insisting.

“We didn’t want to charge him, but he told us he broke the windows and when you have a victim there saying she wants him charged, we had no other choice,” said Chief Weems.

Michael Hammons served in the Army in Desert Storm. As a result, he battles PTSD and feels a very strong need to help others, including animals, in the face of danger.

Video: Georgia Veteran Accused of Smashing Car Window to Save Dog in Hot Car, Pet Owner Cited

“He has seen so much, and been through so much, his thing is he’s got to save him. Michael says I have to save lives because I couldn’t save everyone else over there,” said Saundra Hammons.

The dog owner was also cited with leaving a dog in a parked car.

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