SEAN LAWTON ABANDONS UPTON STAFFY IN SQUALID PROPERTY, LEAVING HIM TO STARVE

Sean Lawton, a resident of Upton on the Wirral, was found guilty of severe animal cruelty after abandoning his dog, Sam, in an empty property without providing basic necessities such as food and water. The incident came to light when a concerned member of the public contacted the RSPCA on October 24, 2014, after noticing the dog sitting on an inside window ledge of the abandoned building. The dog, desperate to be seen, had chewed through the brickwork of the wall and door in an attempt to escape the dire conditions.

Following the call, the RSPCA placed paper seals on both the front door and rear gate of the property to monitor any unauthorized entry. These seals remained unbroken for four days, indicating that no one had returned to the premises during that period. Inspector Anthony Joynes, who had been feeding Sam through the letterbox during this time, entered the property on October 28, 2014, accompanied by police and a veterinarian. The scene inside was described as being in a state of “absolute squalor,” with a strong ammonia smell that caused discomfort to those present.

Inside, no food or water was found, and the environment was filthy, with mouldy faeces scattered around. The veterinarian examined Sam and assigned him a body condition score of just 2 on a scale where 1 indicates emaciation and 5 indicates obesity. The dog weighed only 15.3 kilograms, whereas a healthy weight for him should have been at least 18.5 kilograms. The vet estimated that Sam had been in this emaciated state for approximately four days, but due to the amount of mouldy faeces, it was believed he had been left alone for a longer period, possibly a week to ten days.

It was later confirmed that the person responsible for abandoning Sam was Sean Lawton. Lawton had previously attempted to sell the dog via social media but ultimately decided to leave him in the abandoned property to starve. Lawton was convicted in his absence of animal cruelty charges. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Lawton claimed his child's mother had left him, leaving him with the dog. He stated that he had lived at the property since February 2011 but moved out approximately two weeks before the RSPCA intervened. Lawton admitted he had no money and no means to return to the property, claiming he left some food and water for the dog, though it was clear that the dog was severely malnourished.

Lawton also told authorities that he was working ten hours a day and did not want to have the dog euthanized because he considered him a “good dog.” He admitted to the court that he had acted impulsively, describing his actions as “something stupid.”

The case gained public attention when Sam’s story was featured on Channel 5’s “The Dog Rescuers,” where viewers saw the dog settling into a new, loving forever home after his rescue. The court sentenced Lawton to a 12-week prison term, suspended for 12 months. Additionally, he was ordered to complete 160 hours of unpaid work, pay £1,000 in costs, and was given a 10-year ban on keeping animals, with the right to appeal after five years, which will expire in April 2025.