Kate Murphy

kmurphy@enquirer.com

A Springfield Township man was jailed Tuesday after he tried to have an innocent dog killed in place of his "vicious" dog that was court ordered to be put down.

"In my 10 years as a judge I can't recall a more cold and heartless act," Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Brad Greenberg said in court Tuesday. "If I could give you more time, legally, I would." Jason Dotson, 32, was sentenced to 30 days at the Hamilton County Justice Center without probation or work release. His bond was set at $50,000.

Dotson's "pit bull type dog" almost killed a medical therapy dog in an attack in October, 2015, according to Greenberg. He said the therapy dog was being walked by its owner, who has Parkinson's disease, on a leash in its own neighborhood when the attack happened. It was so traumatized and badly injured that it won't be able to work as a therapy dog again.

After the incident, Dotson was charged with confinement of dogs and put on probation. He was also ordered to take his dog to be humanely put down by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Dotson ignored that court order. He tried to euthanize a similar-looking dog that was adopted two days earlier from the same SPCA facility, instead of turning his dog over.

"It's one thing for you to ignore a court order, it's quite another thing to try to perpetrate a fraud on this court," Greenberg said. "And you tried to have an innocent dog killed."

SPCA Lieutenant Brandon Corcoran said one of their technicians recognized the recently adopted dog and scanned it as a precaution. The micro chip in the dog registered in the system and the innocent dog was saved.

Dotson's "vicious" dog has since been put down, according to Corcoran.

Dotson admitted to the crime, paid his full restitution in cash and apologized for the act in court.