Lawrence, described as being a sovereign citizen, was attempting to turn over a stray animal at the Dothan City Animal shelter at around 12:30 p.m., Eggleston said, but he became disorderly after he was told he couldn't leave the animal without showing identification.

The context here matters. Lawrence brought a stray animal to an animal shelter.  That falls into the category of a pretty kind thing to do.  He was being a nice guy.  Even if his politics was off the wall, that doesn't make him a bad guy, an evil person.  He's kind to animals.  For a lot of people, that's a pretty good indicator of the type of guy he is.

But apparently, the Dothan City Animal Shelter has rules, and one cannot save a stray animal unless one has identification.  Sure, there is no inherent rule that all Americans must possess identification.

Indeed, it used to be considered one of the defining characteristics of America, that we did not need to show identification to enjoy a peaceful and happy existence in this nation.  We still say that's the case, except when it comes to saving animals in Dothan City, where they have rules.

And rules are rules, you know. Even when a stray animal is involved. It's unclear what becomes of a stray animal (notably, the article neglects to mention whether it was a puppy or a kitten, not that it matters) when the person bringing it in lacks proper identification. Do they turn the animal out on the street? Do they kill it where it stands?  After all, they have rules, and what good are rules if there are no consequences for non-compliance?