Hall County authorities arrested a North Carolina woman Tuesday after they reportedly found methamphetamine inside her vehicle while rescuing a puppy that had been left unattended inside.
A release from the Hall County Sheriff's Office said deputies found the puppy inside a car that was not running and was parked in direct sunlight at the intersection of Broad Street and Henry Ward Way in downtown Gainesville. The windows had been slightly opened and deputies were able to rescue the puppy without damaging the vehicle.
While searching the vehicle to find the owner's identity, deputies then reportedly found a syringe filled with meth. They then identified the vehicle's owner as Brittany Deanne Hardy, age 26 of Whittier, North Carolina.
Hardy had reportedly been inside the Hall County Courthouse for around 45 minutes when deputies found and arrested her. She was booked into the Hall County Jail where she remained without bond as of Thursday morning on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and Cruelty to Animals.
Authorities said the puppy was placed inside an air-conditioned patrol vehicle and given water before being given to Hall County Animal Control and Enforcement. Infrared temperature readings of the inside of the car reportedly indicated it was between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the incident.
