Wirral man whose dog chewed through door in search of freedom after being left to starve banned from owning animals for 10 years

Three-year-old "Sam" chewed through a door and a wall to reach a window ledge so that it could be seen by the outside world.

Animal welfare officers found the Staffordshire bull terrier and lurcher cross without food or water and surrounded by mouldy faeces in the Hinderton Road property, which was said to reek of ammonia.

Woodchurch man Sean Lawton was convicted of animal cruelty in his absence by Wirral magistrates on February 17 following the discovery of Sam last October.

The 28-year-old, of Big Meadow Road, had tried to sell the dog on Facebook without success and previously admitted responsibility for the dog during interview with the RSPCA.

He was due to be sentenced in March but, due to not having legal representation, it was adjourned until today for reports to be compiled.

Magistrates imposed a 12 week custodial sentence on Lawton, suspended for 12 months, and banned him from owning or keeping animals for 10 years.

Sam chewed through a door and wall to reach a window ledge so that it could be seen by the outside world.

Lawton - who said he was unable to attend the October hearing as he was on a work-based training scheme – was also ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work, told to pay £1,000 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

He told magistrates he "did a stupid thing", adding: "I regret it and I'm sorry."

Magistrates convicted Lawton on four counts of failing to meet the needs of his dog.

The court found that Lawton had failed to provide an adequate supply of food and water, appropriate care and supervision, maintain its body condition and provide a suitable environment.

Chris Murphy, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, told magistrates the animal welfare charity received a call from a concerned member of the public on October 24 after Sam was spotted sitting on the inside window ledge of the property.

Paper seals were placed on the front door and rear gate of the property. They were checked each day for the next four days but we unbroken, showing that no one had returned to the property.

Photographs show the "squalor" Sam was left in.

RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes – who had been feeding Sam through the letterbox during this time – entered the property with police and a vet on October 28, finding to be in a state of “absolute squalor”.

Mr Murphy told magistrates the property smelled so strongly of ammonia that it “stung the eyes” of those who entered.

No food or water was to be found anywhere in the property.

“The vet immediately said that offences had been committed due to the environment and body condition of the dog,” said Mr Murphy.

“The animal was undernourished and underweight. The dog appeared to have chewed right through to the brick work of the wall and door in order to get onto the window ledge to be seen by the outside world.”

Sam was taken to a vet, who gave him a body score of just two – one being emaciated and five being obese. He weighed 15.3kg.

Mr Murphy said: “The vet anticipated the dog had been in this condition for four days but due to  the amount of faeces, which had gone mouldy, believed the dog had been left alone for longer, at least a week to 10 days.”

The court heard that Lawton was identified as the dog’s owner and had attended a nearby police station after hearing about ongoing enquiries.

During interview, Lawton accepted full responsibility for the dog.

Mr Murphy said: “It was established that he had tried one month earlier on Facebook to have the dog rehomed without success.

“Lawton said his child’s mother had left him and he was left with the dog.  He said he had lived there since February 2011 and moved out about two weeks before the dog was taken by the RSPCA – he had no money and no way of getting there.”

The court heard that Lawton had tried to make arrangements for someone to feed the dog and accepted what he had done was wrong.

Mr Murphy added: “He said he was working 10 hours a day and he couldn’t walk the dog and play with him as he would have liked. He said he didn’t want to have him put down as he was a good dog.

“Lawton said he didn’t mean for it to happen like this, it had all got on top of him and he had let the dog down.”

Following the hearing, RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes said: “This was a serious case of neglect in which poor Sam was left with no food, no water, no company and in absolute squalor for a prolonged period of time.

“People need to realise that taking on a dog could be a 15 year responsibility. It is not acceptable to just dump and neglect your pet at the slightest change in circumstances."

Sam is now in a new home and will appear on The Dog Rescuers on Channel 5 this summer.

If you would like to help the RSPCA to continue to bring animal cruelty cases to court, you can text HELP59 to 70099 to give £3.