Andrea Rosebrock 
Wow, doesn’t this just ring a bell? Looks like another good Samaritan is getting punished for trying to help a dog that was abused and neglected by its legal owners after the law and animal services couldn’t or didn’t help! An elderly Savannah, GA woman, Ann Wylene Lam, saw the dog in a neighbor’s while she was out walking her own dog months ago. If was chained to a tree so tight that it had sores on its skin, it was emaciated and seemed to have a lame leg.
At first Ms. Lam just threw treats over to the dog then she approached the owners bringing them food for the dog and she fed and watered the dog herself when she did. She kept an eye on the dog noticed that the poor thing was still deteriorating.
Lam says, “I didn’t see her feed him or water him, so then I started just going on the property and doing it all myself.”
That was four months ago and she also called the sheriff and animal control and even though she did see a deputy on the neighbor’s property one time, nothing changed. Finally she’d had enough around the end of October.
“He’s not eating, he won’t pick his head up out of his bowl, he’s giving up, he’s just quitting,” says Lam.
Well Ms. Lamm was determined that even though she though the dog was giving up, she wouldn’t. With the help of a friend she went on the neighbor’s property with bolt cutters and released to dog. She cleaned him up and them called animal control. She didn’t even realize that she was doing anything wrong, just trying to save the poor dog’s life. She got a rather rude awakening when she was arrested a short time later and charged with criminal trespass and theft and tossed into jail like a common criminal.
Sadly animal control said the dog was in such poor shape that it died. The unnamed owner has been charged with charged with neglect, tethering, and not having up-to-date shots on the dog but Ms. Lam still will face her day in court next week when all she was trying to do was a good deed.
Sad how someone who is trying to help, to save an abused animal is being prosecuted even though she tried to go through the right channels. Makes you think of Doogie and Tammy of DDD (Dogs Deserve Better). When is the law going to get it right? An innocent died at the hands of trash and there was a chance for the dog to be saved and rescued but it never came for some reason and now the one person who actually cared enough to really do something, Ms. Ann Wylene Lam, will pay the price for her good heart. What’s that saying? A good deed goes unpunished or something like that…. sad, just sad!
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My favorite quote: “Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Amber, that’s one of my favorites too and I couldn’t agree more!
D.
DITTO HERE Amber and D…I had a bracelet made with that on it…..as well as “Sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in even if you have to stand alone”.
There has to be somewhere we can write to help this wonderful lady out. She is one hell of a lady and the owners knew she was helping. Then to turn on her, sounds like they were in it for the money they thought they would get. I would do the same thing. We need more people out there like her. I will help any way I can. I am not afraid to write the justice system to get something done.
Moe, the info I have is pretty scanty but trying to see if I can find something. Will post it if I do. This one just ticked me off, big time!
D.
I’ll be checking everyday to see if there is any news. I wish I was closer to some of these people, I would go there in person. Thanks Dee
Please do update…..I would sure donate if she needed legal funds. I also have several GA contact in rescue so will see if they are near and can get any more info an dor provide help.
As long as the LAW continues to consider animals as property we will have to deal with this. It is sickening, was sickening for Doogie and Tammy and it is here also.
ok who do i call and write to help defend this lady that tried to help a poor dog that DIED ANYWAY. or was put to sleep. thats horrifying. whats wrong with people, do they want to be tied up like that dog and left for dead with nothing. except to pee and such outside. what drugs or drinking were they doing. something mentally is wrong with these dog owners if you can call them that.
Poor baby and poor Ms. Lam.
Has anyone check into the Animal Control? What the hell is happening with all these places that are supposed to help animals in need? Lately … it seems … all those that are being paid to help and take care of our 4 legged friends are those who harm them!!!
The HELL with them all and with the judicial system!!!
That is just so sad, punished for doing what’s right. Well, let me know if there is a petition out there to sign to let the ‘officials’ know that what they are doing to Ms Lamm wrong is just wrong. Is anybody going to cite them (the ‘officials’) for criminal neglect or criminal animal cruelty. They knew what was going on with that poor animal and let it happen. In my mind, they are just as guilty as the owner.
Too bad Mrs. Lamm didn’t call Rescue Ink.
It is a damn shame that people are allowed to abuse, neglect, and harm all the dogs out there, and get nothing but a slap on the wrist and a lecture “don’t do that again”, but then they ARREST someone who IS doing the right thing, because of the neglect from the police dept and animal control. There is no justice for the poor baby who died. They should charge the “owners” of this dog with murder, because that is what they have done. They slowly murdered this beautiful baby.
Hell, I would do the same thing, and I know quite a few people in the legal profession who would stand right by my side to protect my best interests.
What ever happened to a citizen using their powers making a “citizens arrest”?
This is about what you expect now from the justice system , punish the innocent and let the criminal go free . Every time you hope for a large sentence they let you down .Who ever arrested this great lady should be totally ashamed of them self , they arrested the wrong party .Now the poor animal is dead and the idiots will probably get another one
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.” Edmund Burke
God bless Ms. Lamm for doing the right thing, hopefully we’ll get some information which will now allow us to help her
Well that is about par for the course. Say if a citizen can make a citizens arest, why wouldn’t that aply in this situation? After all.The owner of that sweet mistreeted baby should be charged with Animal Felony Abuse as her non care of this poor fur baby resulted in the death.
So who do we write in this beautiful humane beings defense? And what is the email address of all parties involved in this travesty of justice?
Time to rally the troops General.
“Time to rally the troops General” LOVE IT EXCAL!
what the hell is wrong with people. my boyfreind thinks i baby my kids(dogs) way to much. when they go outside i go outside. i DO NOT take my eyes off my kids at all when they are outside. if he lets them out and he dont keep an eye on them i through a fit every time, he will tell me that i am being overprotective and every time he tells me that i get on to this web page and make him read the horror stories. i stick up for any and every animal i see that is being abused or is hurting and yes i have been in trouble for it but it was always worth it. i just wish people would wake the hell up and see no better yet care about what they are doing. i think every state needs a rescue ink. please let us know how to help this lady i know when i was in trouble for doing the same thing i had help and she needs help
Dear – you are not babying your pups too much. There is no such thing as spoiling them too much, or being too watchful over them. My hubby and I both go outside with our boys when they go outside – not only to play with them, but to be that ever watchful eye. I am glad you show your better half the horrors that go on. My husband can’t take it, and would do actual physical harm to someone – plus he would take all the homeless, injured ones in (he is worse than me in some instances).
Sorry you had to go thru a rough time with you helping the innocents. It is so unfair, but it is going to have to be us, dictating to our state and local governing bodies that this has to stop. The general public will never wake up, because they just don’t get it with the unconditional love an animal will give you.
So sad..so very sad. Poor Mrs. Lam, poor baby. I just don’t get it!! Maybe we can contact Tammy @ DDB for some advice?
What the news should have done is printed that worthless POS owner’s name and picture so it can be splashed all over the internet. >( After all, they were CHARGED with a CRIME as well. Neglect, tethering, and not having up-to-date shots on the dog.
Once on the net, always on the net.
Absolutely Andrea. I wish all these horrid, demented so called people would drop dead and stop breathing our air. I am so angry, sick and tired of these heartbreaking, blood boiling cases and the deeply disturbing amount of injustice!! Bring back vigilante justice and an eye for an eye. I would love to make them “pay” for the pain that they inflict. Pathetic POS wastes of human flesh. ggggrrrr
I can only echo the other remarks, please update when you can and let us know how we can help the wonderful woman. In this season above all it’s sad that someone who tried to ‘do for the least of these’ what was right is punished for her kindness.
I’d like to know who at Animal Control decided the dog wasn’t worth saving? Was there a qualified vet involved or just some do dick who drives the van?
Would appreciate a contact name at the prosecutor’s office Savannah where I can give them a piece of my mind.
Here is the link for the DA home page of Larry Chisholm, District Attorney for Chatham County, Georgia; County in which Savannah Georgia is located.
County:http://www.chathamcounty.org/DistrictAttorney.html
Thanks for the info. I would like to send Ann a letter of support if anyone has her email address.
Here is the letter I just sent:
In the case involving Ann Weylene Lam. I wish that you would give this lady a brake. She was doing the right thing in helping this suffering animal. If you were in her shoes and saw an animal suffering so badly, would you stand by an just pretend that animal wasn’t there? After all,didn’t she follow legal procedure by notifying the police and animal control? And didn’t she have to see this little helpless dog dying a little everyday, even after she had notified the officials that should have come to this little things rescue, but choice to do nothing, that ultimately resulted in the death of the dog?
Was she supposed to ignore the suffering. What kind of humane being would stand idly by and allow something this heinous to go on? Would you? Please help this lady , she even took care of this dog for 4 month, after realizing that the so called owner wasn’t going to do it. For piety sakes. This is why crime is so high and that good people don’t want to get involved. Because they can’t win. No matter how right they are, they can’t win. Say, since this owner allowed Ann Lam to come onto the property for 4 month ,to actually care for this dog, weren’t they in fact giving her permission to care for the dog? And since Ms Lam felt the dog needed further care ,off of the heavy choking chain, that was damaging the dog to the point of its becoming physically ill. It seems to me that she ( after 4 month) actually had the permission of the owner.
If all these animal abusers can walk away with a slap on the wrist for all the inhumane viscous things that they do, to all these innocent victims, then why can’t Ann get a slap on the wrist for doing the moral humane thing, to aid a suffering creature? Please help her and the people involved in the death of this poor animal should at least be banned from ever having another pet, ever. They should be charged with Felony Animal abuse.
Why again didn’t the animal control do anything to help this dog? I’m so confused on that detail alone. It boggles the mind.
Well thank you for allowing me to comment on this Injustice.
Thanks for writing the letter and for sharing. I would like to encourage everyone to do so. I am not conversant in Georgia law but I do know that in most areas charges filed can be refused to be prosecuted by the DA’s office.
what the hell went wrong with the animal control and the sheriffs? they were called for a reason! where was the help? where is this animal now? DEAD! and all because no help was given to this poor defenseless animal cause the animal control officers and the sheriffs didn’t do anything about it except go to the house which was something worthless cause the poor dog was not helped or anything at all! the owner should get arrested and get tied up tight without no food and water! i thank god there are people like this blessed lady who has a heart..may god bless her for the rest of her life! i am very glad she was not scared to take actions of her own! for saying that even that even though she had to go back to jail she would still do it and that is brave of her! she has inspired me more! i really thank her from the bottom of my heart! she is one brave human! may the poor dog rest in peace!
Yep sure does ring a bell – remember Tammy Grimes, owner of Dogs Deserve Better, advocate for dogs that are tied up and maltreated…she stuck to her guns and came out okay if I remember. Remind me about this Deanna.
Grimes was given court supervised probation (cannot remember term) and 300 hours of community services. Guess in PA humane education, anti cruelty work, and saving lives of animals in dire need is not considered service to the community. Of course not, how foolish of me, as PA is the PUPPYMILL CAPITOL of the entire US east of the Mississippi. Guess the millers and other animal exploiters are the commnunity the judge and DA think she should serve.
After doing 60 hours of community service, her attorney was able to get the judge to throw out the remaining hours as well as end the probation. Although to my memory, the probation time had been met. In addition all attempts of DDB, Grimes and her attorney to have the owners charged with animal cruelty have been denied. The DA, same as one above, had refused to do so on the grounds that no cruelty was involved. This is the same DA who has from the start been opening hostile to Grimes and DDB and has made terrible remarks. So much for justice.
This whole buisness is @#$%^&*
And I do agree with that…..
My eyesight is challenged but some things are seen with one’s heart…I am sending some lyrics from a great reggae legend that I hadn’t known of until recently,sadly he was killed…anyhow,in this regard and many others…”You Stand Alone”…but remember,appearances can be deceiving…we unite as one against the oppression of all creatures,great and’small’…
“You Stand Alone”/Lucky Dube
liar,liar,your pants are on fire
you’ve got a nose as long as a telephone wire
I swear to tell the truth
nothing but the truth
so help me God
I cross my heart and hope to die…
these are the words we use
to get out of situations…
Then I wonder why
we don’t mean what we say
Then I remember the terrible truth about the truth…
Chorus:
If you stand for the truth
you will always stand alone
The holy book tells us
the truth will set us free
but in this world I know different
Do you believe in the truth
do you believe in righteousness
do you believe in innocent
til proven guilty
‘Cause those who tell the truth
Are always on the run….Oh,God
Then I wonder why
we don’t mean what we say
then I remember the terrible truth
about the truth…
RIP,both great Souls that suffered for naught but to wake us all up….
Stay Strong,and remain,”Standing”
Until all are free from suffering,none of us will be….
a PS…I don’t think too much truth is being upheld in our”court”rooms,either…but think of it…the tyrants&murderers look to win for a time…but they always fall…think of it:always…from Gandhi…
So I volunteered undercover so to speak for the SPCA in France…..when animals were suffering and the owners would not give them up or comply with the law (shelter, food and water) we would go at night when the lights were out and take the animals from the yard. We would only take an animal if its’ life was endangered and if you have any “sense” of animals you know…trust me. I can read animals better than people!
We would keep the rescues at my friend’s home until we got them adopted. We always had happy endings. But this was done covertly because what we were doing was in fact illegal. The laws need to be changed everywhere…and in the meantime I would risk everything to save an animal in need. Was even shot at twice but I won’t go into that story…France once again! Please email me if you have any info to help this woman!
Bravo stephanie Bravo ~ I stand up and salute you and your friends.
I always suggest that people document, document, document. Keep a diary of every time you saw the dog and what shape it was in. Get pictures. Note the times you spoke with the owner and record your conversations. I’m not sure if any of this can be brought into court – but it will show officers exactly what you saw and did and attempted to do, and what the owner said or did in response. Pictures of the animal in distress need to be as graphic as you can get – a picture of a dog on a chain isn’t enough. Show the chain’s damage to the dog, show the chain wrapped around the tree/post, show the empty/dry food and water bowls. If you feed and water the dog, remember that the owner will claim that they were the one’s feeding/watering the dog. So you need to have proof that you were the one doing it. Like a picture of an empty bowl, and a picture of you filling it.
I know it sounds ridiculous that someone wanting to help an animal should have to go through all of this – but the fact is that you can be accused of tresspass and theft and harrassment. You have to protect yourself, because you are the only one who is looking out for the animal. If you get in trouble, who will care for the dog? If the neglectful owner can accuse you and win, do you think he or she will be a better owner? NOPE! They will probably be worse because they got away with it and got the would be rescuer – you – in trouble for trying to change the situation.
Document document document. Pictures, recordings, diaries of events and conversations. [pictures and recordings are best.]
It may not be admissible before a judge, but it may get charged dropped, or prevent charges from being filed in the first place.
Good luck to this wonderful lady!
Manon, I agree with what you say, to a point – when you do rescue – of any kind – when an animal is taken off of a premises, paperwork documenting the surrender of the animal must be signed by both parties. (Both parties being the owner(s) of said animal and rescue person accepting the animal(s).) Age, sex, color – any description that could identify the animal, even their microchip number, should be listed on the surrender paperwork – that way there are no questions about the animal or the fact that they are now considered a surrender. That is owner surrender in my eyes. Owner surrender receives no compensation for said animal. A surrender document is admissible in court. I have had my personal attorney review and correct all my rescue documents, and she had even said, any of the docs we wrote are admissible in a court case.
Pictures of the animal you are taking off a property are always good to have, but not always easy to do, unless you have someone with you helping you with paperwork, pictures and the said animal.
It does not sound ridiculous to have to do this; it must be done to protect not only the animal(s), but yourself as a rescuer.
Well the so called Good Samaritan wasnt so good when she was breaking the law. she shouldnt have cutten the chain and stolen the dog she deserved to go to jail hopefully she learned her lesson if she felt the dog was in need of help she should have called the police that is there job to uphold the law and I was told by a source at the vets office that the dog was put down because of heart worms witch could not be cured or prevented it was born with them so I will close by saying let officers do there job