Man Seeking to Rescue Stray Dog Arrested for DUI

By Kamika Dunlap on June 07, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Oleksandr Nayda would have been known as a Good Samaritan had he not been arrested for drunk driving while seeking to rescue a stray dog.

Instead, the good deeds by Oleksandr Nayda as a dog rescuer were overshadowed police said, when he drove drunk to local police station, the Associated Press reports.

Police said the 38-year-old man from Monroe, New York, found a stray Rottweiler and stopped by the department's headquarters to ask for directions to an animal shelter.

He had a 0.17 blood-alcohol content level - more than twice the legal limit.

In every state, it is a crime for a driver to operate a vehicle while impaired by the effects of alcohol or drugs. The specific offense may be called driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated (DWI), operating under the influence (OUI), and even operating a motor vehicle intoxicated (OMVI).

Whatever the specific title, DUI laws make it unlawful for a person to operate a car, truck, motorcycle, or commercial vehicle if:

The driver's ability to safely operate the vehicle is impaired by the effects of alcohol, illegal drugs, prescribed medications such as painkillers, or even over-the-counter medications such as antihistamines; or
The driver is intoxicated at a level above established DUI standards, such as blood-alcohol concentration (BAC).

As it turns out, Oleksandr Nayda also was wanted on a warrant for a 2006 DWI charge

He was charged with DWI, a misdemeanor that could turn into a felony if he is convicted on the outstanding charge.

The dog was driven to the shelter by Monroe's animal control officer.

Nayda was sent to jail on $1,000 cash bail.