Woman who abandoned German Shepherd puppy Phoenix seen helplessly chasing after her car in Fresno breaks her silence to tell her side of the story - and denies wrongdoing

The driver who has been attacked for taking off after 'cruelly' abandoning a helpless German Shepherd puppy on the street in a now-viral video has broken her silence to tell her side of the story.

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Jubree Johnson, 22, admitted to driving away after leaving the three-month-old pup at a mobile home park in Fresno, California – but claimed it was after the dog had already been ditched by its owner.

She denied any wrongdoing and explained that she and a friend had spotted the puppy – now renamed Phoenix – wandering the streets and decided to take it in on a whim, only for them to have second thoughts and dump it on the street. 

Speaking publicly for the first time she said: 'The dog was already abandoned. It wasn't mine nor my partner's. We were in the area when we saw the dog. We took it to the nearest shelter, but they couldn't take her because they were closed the weekend.'  

Jubree Johnson, 22, has been identified as the driver who was seen taking off after callously dumping a German Shepherd puppy on the street last month 

The heart-wrenching moment went viral after surveillance footage showed the helpless puppy chasing a car moments after being abandoned at a trailer park in Fresno, California on April 25

Earlier this week DailyMail.com revealed that the puppy has been renamed 'Phoenix' and she has been adopted by her new loving owners 

Johnson said she was driving in the area that morning with friend, Mack Kay, 21, who was seen in footage sitting in the passenger seat of her white Nissan sedan. 

The two were leaving a gas station near Mobley Park when they spotted the lonely pooch on the road. 

'My friend who had been talking about wanting a dog just minutes before we saw this one, spotted the puppy walking near the street. My friend loves dogs,' she told DailyMail.com. 

She said Mack then convinced her to pull over so he could 'pet it'.

'I stopped and we got out of the car and the dog was happy to see us. We swooped the dog up and put it in our car. Mack wanted it. 

'As soon as the dog got into the car, it became anxious. It was panting hard and moving back and forth.'  

Despite its nervous demeanor and their fleeting time together, Johnson claimed the dog 'really bonded' with them, admitting: 'Maybe she thought we were going to take her home.' 

But the excitement would prove to be short-lived for the confused pup, who was returned to the streets just minutes later. 

'After about 10 minutes I convinced Mack he was in no position to take care of a dog; he is a struggling student with little money and time. So we decided to take it to a nearby shelter.'

'Mack took the dog into the shelter and came back to the car and told me they were closed for the weekend and they couldn't accept the dog,' Johnson said. 

Jubree told her side of the story in an interview with DailyMail.com, admitting she dumped the dog but only after it had already been abandoned by its owner 

Johnson, 22, said she and a friend found the pup wandering the streets and briefly took it into their car before ditching it moments later

Johnson identified the man in the red shirt seen sitting in her passenger seat as 21-year-old Mack Kay, who she says had convinced her to pull over to grab the pup, only for them to have second thoughts about raising a dog 

'The shelter suggested we take the dog back to the place where they found it.'

Surveillance footage at the shelter does show a white Nissan turning up and a man in a red shirt getting out with a dog. 

Johnson claimed she didn't have gas money to drive around to various shelters to find a safe place for the dog, so they heeded the alleged advice and took the dog back to the area where they found it.

She said they spotted a trailer park near the area – Country Living Mobile Home Park – drove in and dropped off the dog.

'I thought the dog would have a better chance of getting picked up, a better chance of survival at the trailer park. 

'I figured someone would pick up the dog in less than an hour if not minutes. That's where my mind went at the time,' she said. 

As for the heart-wrenching scenes captured on video, Johnson claimed she didn't see the dog chasing her car on the way out of the mobile home park, and has no regrets for what her and her friend did, saying: 'I didn't think we were doing anything wrong.'

She also said she had not been not aware of the media coverage surrounding her abandoning a puppy. 

'I didn't think it was that big of a deal,' she added. 

'We had the dog for less than an hour. My friend wanted it, I talked him out of it, we dropped it off in a safe place.'

When informed that the puppy has since been adopted by new owners on the east coast, without missing a beat, she said: 'Good. That is what I wanted, for the dog to find a good home.'

Kay confirmed Johnson's story. 'Originally I did want the dog but Jubree talked me out of it,' he said.

'I didn't mean for all this to happen,' he added. 

He said he and Johnson agreed the mobie home park was the best pace for the dog. 'It was a safe space to. leave her.' 

Footage showed the lonely pup looking around in confusion before watching the vehicle speed away

The heartbreaking footage caught the attention of a member of the mobile home community who later called the Fresno Animal Center

The helpless puppy was seen desperately chasing after the car as it drove away 

On Tuesday DailyMail.com revealed the desperate puppy who melted the nation's heart has a new owner and a bright future ahead of her.

Now renamed Phoenix – because she has risen from the ashes – the black German Shepherd has already experienced a 2,700-mile cross-country road trip as she is given a chance to start fresh.

And hopes are high that she is going to make it as a therapy dog to support those in hospitals and hospices, once she is properly trained.

Video taken by DailyMail.com shows the moment the three-month-old pup arrived at her new home, desperately jumping on her new owner in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday after traveling five days across the country from Fresno, California. 

'We already have a potential adopter for her if, for any reason, she can't stay with us,' her new guardian Meredith Gintzig-Hayes, 33, told DailyMail.com. 

'But if it falls through, she'll be with me – I can't ever put her in a situation that feels abandonment again.' 

'As cliché as it sounds, I was adopted at two days old and I've struggled with abandonment, even though I had a family that loved me unconditionally,' Gintzig-Hayes said. 

'But you always have that sense, and so when I saw the video my soul literally connected to her through it.

'I knew that I had to save her no matter what.'

Security cameras caught Phoenix desperately chasing after Johnson's white Nissan Sentra after they dropped her in the trailer park shortly after 10am on April 25. 

DailyMail.com learned the two friends tried to take 10lb Phoenix to the Fresno Animal Center – but it was closed that day

The dog, renamed Phoenix, has since been taken in by a new owner, Meredith Gintzig-Hayes, with whom she will live on the east coast 

Gintzig-Hayes is an EMT who began taking in rescue animals in 2017 and started her non-profit three years later. She's pictured with her other dog Rogue 

Phoenix is happily settling into her new home, playing with her new siblings and cuddling up to Gintzig-Hayes and the drive who took her from cross-country

She was captured looking around in confusion before watching the vehicle speed away, and then desperately tried to chase the car down the street.

But as the security gates shut, Phoenix paused, turned and ran back into the trailer park where a worker coaxed her into the office.

'The video of Phoenix was heart wrenching,' Gintzig-Hayes said. 'But I hear about such things every day in the line of work I do.

'The difference is that you can actually see it happen in this case.'

The mobile home park's assistant manager Priscilla Garvey told DailyMail.com she was 'horrified' when she saw the video of Phoenix being dumped.

'I was worried that the dog was going to get hit by a car.'

A person wearing a red sweatshirt – now identified as Mack – was seen carrying the dog with a pink collar to the center.

A center worker took the photo and told DailyMail.com: 'I took a picture of the dog so I could send to various rescue centers and shelters in the area to see if there as any interest.

'The man told me that he had found the dog, that it wasn't his. I didn't believe him.

'I obviously had no idea he was going to abandon it just minutes later. 

Nor does Gintzig-Hayes, who said there is 'no way' a dog would have chases after a car if they had only met the person an hour or less before.

Gintzig-Hayes said there is 'no way' a dog would chase after a car if they had only met the person an hour before

The trailer park's assistant manager Priscilla Garvey told DailyMail.com she was 'horrified' when she saw the video of Phoenix being dumped

'They're probably just trying to say they were doing the right thing. But she wouldn't have chased after the car like that if that was true.

'If anyone is looking to rehome their dog, I'd advise them to go to a shelter and ask for a list of rescues that might specialize in the breed of dog they have and reach out to them.

'Even if they're full they will have a network who can try to find a forever home for the dog, giving it an opportunity to live. It takes a lot of stress out of the situation and could prevent them being euthanized.'

Under California law it is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine to abandon an animal willfully.

Once Garvey had the dog at the mobile home park she had to decide what to do with her. 

She initially tried the park's residents to make sure Phoenix didn't belong to one of them.

When that proved fruitless it was time to contact various animal welfare organizations to see if any would accept her.

Eventually Fresno Animal Center – the very place the previous owners may have tried to drop her – agreed to take her in. 

Fresno Police are investigating the case, Lt. William Dooley confirmed to DailyMail.com.

'This truly is a sad, heartbreaking event,' he said. 'But we are happy to say that the puppy is safe, in good hands and being cared for.' 

Once the dog's plight had been shown on DailyMail.com, Gintzig-Hayes, who runs an organization called Regional Deployed K9 Inc and Equine Rescue, sprung into action.

'I immediately reached out to the rescue coordinator, and I made it happen so now she will either be with us forever,' she said.

Gintzig-Hayes, an EMT who began taking in rescue animals in 2017 and started her non-profit three years later, says she often works with shelters in California because many of them euthanize abandoned animals quickly.

Phoenix is  now happily settling into her new home, playing with her new siblings and cuddling up to Gintzig-Hayes and her wife, having her tattered pink collar replaced with a brand new one. 

She will undergo basic training with Gintzig-Hayes, who is hoping she will end up working as a therapy dog in the future.

‘Phoenix has now become Rogue’s shadow, learning and mimicking everything she does.

‘We found it extremely important that this bond was made as Rogue is an amazing puppy who picked up her duties of service work extremely fast and knew she would be a good mentor to Phoenix.

‘They run and play in the yard and she shares her favorite toys with Phoenix and will even bring them to her to play with them.

‘She’s also taught her how to wash her paws off in the water bowl, not ideal but still extremely adorable.

‘No one ever wants to see a dog abandoned but in Phoenix’s case it truly was a blessing in disguise, not only for Phoenix who is now spoiled rotten, but for all of us at RDK9 as well because now neither us humans nor the canine fur babies can picture life without her vibrant spirit around.’