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Man gets jail time for dumping pregnant dog

After 5-day sentence, Hamilton man must do community service at animal shelter, cannot live in a house with pets.

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer Updated 11:11 PM Wednesday, March 31, 2010

HAMILTON — A Hamilton man will spend time behind bars for dumping a pregnant dog at a St. Clair Twp. farm during February’s frigid, snowy weather.

Darryl Lawson, 45, of 667 Woodlawn Ave., pleaded guilty Wednesday, March 31, in Hamilton Municipal Court to misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals and abandoning animals. A third charge of failure to restrain an animal was merged.

Judge Dan Gattermeyer sentenced Lawson to 90 days in the Butler County Jail on the cruelty charge and suspended 85 of the days. Lawson also got a 90-day jail sentence for the abandonment, with 85 days suspended, to run concurrent to the first charge.

Lawson is to report to jail April 5 to begin serving the five days. In addition, he was ordered to pay a $750 fine and perform 40 hours of community service at an animal shelter. During a two-year probation term, Gattermeyer ordered Lawson to be barred from living in a household that included any pets.

Attorney Charles Conliff said Lawson is “very remorseful” for abandoning the beagle-mix dog, who then gave birth to puppies while huddled for warmth in hay.

“He panicked when he found out the dog was pregnant,” Conliff said, noting Lawson immediately regretted his decision and searched for the dog.

Lawson did call the sheriff’s office and later Animal Friends Humane Society, where the dog and pups were taken by a farmer who found them. He gave himself up to animal shelter authorities.

Gattermeyer noted Lawson has little previous contact with the court system, but said what he did to a loyal pet was “a particularly bad thing to do.”

The mother dog and her five surviving puppies are thriving in a West Chester Twp. foster home. All will be put up for adoption.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.

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