A woman who rescued a dog that was chained outside during freezing conditions is now on trial in Okanogan County, Wash., facing charges of pet theft, lying to police and obstructing justice.

According to the Spokesman Review, Judy Camp discovered on an Internet message board that a dog was suffering in brutal winter weather conditions at the house of a family with a history of animal abuse.

Camp took the dog home and later took the animal to a series of veterinary appointments as if it were her own pet.

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According to the Seattle Times, the initial owner of the dog, Orvil Magruder, notified the authorities regarding the missing dog. Magruder claims that the animal, named “Duke,” was kept outside permanently as a guard dog. When a police officer investigated the incident, Camp allegedly lied about her relationship with the animal.

In Deputy Dave Yarnell’s official report regarding his interaction with Camp, he wrote the following: “I informed Camp that the dog was stolen and Camp claimed that it was her dog, named Tank.”

Camp, however, claimed that she was not intending to truly conceal any information.

“I thought it was a wink-wink, nod-nod kind of thing,” Camp said about the situation. "He knew the answer."

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After the authorities had the incident straightened out, Camp bought the dog from the Magruder family for $500. Still, the family filed criminal charges against their former dog’s new owner.

If convicted, Camp faces up to three years in jail. Despite the potentially harsh sentencing, Camp has remained firm that she does not want to settle for anything less than justice.

“Yes, I could have taken a plea bargain, but that would have been a lie,” Camp said. "I did the right thing."

Sources: Spokesman Review, Seattle Times

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