‘Tamworth Five’ pet sitter fined with dogs still missing

THE pet sitter at the centre of the “Tamworth Five” vanishing dogs mystery was under intense stress at the time, a court heard yesterday, as she was fined more than £3,000 for separate animal welfare offences.

Louise Lawford, 48, claimed the five dogs she was looking after bolted into Hopwas Woods near Tamworth, Staffs, on June 23 last year.

She was suffering from “extreme emotional and physical stress” at the time as she was going through a “messy separation” from her husband, Birmingham magistrates’ court heard.

The owners of Pablo, Maggie, Charlie, Ralph and Jack appealed for information but the dogs were never found. Prosecutors did not accept Lawford’s claim that they ran away but could not prove what else happened, so related charges were dropped.

Lawford, who looked after dogs when their owners went on holiday, pleaded guilty to four unrelated animal welfare offences connected to Pawford Paws, her now-defunct dog-boarding firm in the West Midlands.

Tom Walking, defending, said Lawford was a “lifelong dog owner and lover” and felt “severe remorse” for losing the pets.

He added: “Her out-of-character behaviour was because of the extreme emotional and financial stress, starting in March and reaching a peak in the summer.

“She had a nervous breakdown and foolishly decided to continue with her obligations, looking after other people’s dogs.

“It was a very bad decision to make.” Lawford was ordered to pay a total of £3,496 and was banned from owning dogs for five years.