Elderly Woman Charged After Taking Neighbor's Dog

(SAVANNAH, GA) An elderly Savannah woman who says she was trying to do a good deed for an animal - is facing criminal charges. She took a dog from her neighbor's yard - a dog she says was being neglected. Ann Wylene Lam faced a judge in Chatham County Recorder's Court today - but her case was continued until next week.

Ann Wylene Lam thought she was headed to jail Tuesday morning - she already spent 6 hours there back on October 28th when she was arrested - charged with criminal trespass and theft for taking a dog from her neighbor's property. “I was trying to save a dog and get attention for this animal, that's all I thought - no I did not know I was doing anything wrong - I did not know it would go this far,” says Lam. She says the dog was emaciated, chained to this tree so tight it left sores on its skin, and seemed to have a lame leg. Lam says she first noticed the dog as she walked her dog along her street each day, initially she'd just throw treats over the fence, then she asked the owners if she could help. The next day she says she bought a 10-pound bag of food - fed and watered the dog - then gave the rest of the food to its owner. She continued to keep an eye on the situation as she walked her dog around the neighborhood. 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.”

She says that went on for nearly 4 months, during which she says she contacted police and Animal Control and actually saw a Sheriff's deputy leaving the property one time. Nothing changed - until that day near 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. But she didn't - she called a friend to help - then went into the yard with bolt cutters and cut the chain. After cleaning him up, they called Animal Control - Ann Wylene Lam was arrested a short time later... But she says she'd do it all again, “Truthfully yes, truthfully yes - I would - there's no way I could walk by that dog and not do it again. So, if they have to put me in jail, they have to put me in jail.” Metro Police tell us the dog died. They say Animal Control tried to adopt it out, but it was in bad shape and got sick. We also tried to talk to the dog's former owner - but no one answered the door. Metro Police say she has been charged with neglect, tethering, and not having up-to-date shots on the dog.