A Georgia man is getting honored by PETA after landing behind bars for saving the life of a dog locked in a hot car. 

Veteran Michael Hammons saw a group of shoppers saying there was a "dog in distress in a hot car," so he took matters into his own hands and smashed the car window, reported local TV station 11 Alive. 

When the owner of the car saw her mustang being defaced to free her dog, she called the police and demanded that Hammons be arrested. The police complied with the woman's demand. 

Despite being jailed for his actions, Hammons doesn't regret saving the dog's life. 

"I've got PTSD, and I've seen enough death and destruction," Hammons told 11 Alive. "And I didn't want anything else to happen if I could prevent it." 

For Hammons' heroic efforts, PETA is honoring him with a Compassionate Action Award. 

"Every summer, PETA receives dozens of calls about dogs left in hot cars for whom help came too late to save their lives," Colleen O'Brien, PETA Senior Director, said in a news release. "Rather than being arrested, this man should be applauded for acting in the best interests of the victim instead of standing idly by."