Twelve-counts of misdemeanor charges filed against Tammie Hedges, founder of Crazy’s Claws N Paws animal rescue, have been dropped. Hedges was accused of running an illegal veterinary operation when she took in dozens of pets during Hurricane Florence. North Carolina’s Wayne County District Attorney Mathew Delbridge said his office is dismissing the charges against Hedges.

While Hurricane Florence raged, Hedges rescued 10 dogs and 17 cats and sheltered them in her warehouse. The authorities charged her for sheltering and practicing veterinary medicine without a license and said she took advantage of the situation to solicit opioid narcotics and money for the animals. The council authorities recovered the animals from Hedges before deciding to toss out the charges.

The DA’s Office Has Dropped All Charges, but the Vet Medical Board May Choose to Take Action

Delbridge said dropping the charges against Hedges would minimize further distractions on his public duties. He disclosed that the defendant had earlier been warned against practicing vet medicine without due licensing and that the facility in which the rescued animals were sheltered failed to meet standards for approved animal shelters.

“A passion for and the love of animals is laudable but does not excuse unnecessarily putting their health at risk when other, safer resources are available,” Delbridge noted.

Delbridge said it is left to the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board to decide if they still want to take any actions against her.

Hedges Admitted To Administering Drugs to Some of the Sick Animals

Hedges in a media interview agreed to sheltering the animals during the hurricane storm. She said people brought the abandoned animals to her and she consented to shelter them. She added she gave them a safe and dry place to stay “until their owners returned to get them.”

She equally agreed to amoxicillin, a topical antibiotic ointment, and other prescription painkillers to treat some of the sick pets.

Crazy’s Claws N Paws expressed their joy with the case dismissal on their Facebook page.

“We are very blessed that the charges against our founder, Tammie Hedges, have been dismissed,” they wrote. “We remain optimistic that no other charges will be filed, and that this is the end to a terrible, terrible situation. We strive for a lifelong dedication to working with state and local law enforcement to make North Carolina safe for our animals.”

Over 10,000 people signed an online petition asking that charges against Hedges be dropped before the present development took its course.