Daniel Sturridge ordered to pay £22k over lost dog

Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has been ordered to pay a man $30,000 (£22,400) for finding his lost dog.

Sturridge, who now plays in Australia, claimed his Pomeranian called Lucci was stolen from his house in LA in 2019, offering a reward to anyone who found it. Sturridge, 32, plays for Perth Glory in Australia’s A-League

Foster Washington, a rapper known as Killa Fame, says he reunited Mr Sturridge and Lucci but was not paid.

A court in LA ruled for Mr Washington.

Documents seen by the PA News agency show that Mr Sturridge did not respond to the complaint and Judge Curtis Kin ordered the footballer to pay Mr Washington $30,000 in damages and costs of $85.

Mr Washington told PA that he felt “let down” by the footballer.

“Hopefully he pays up and doesn’t try to appeal it,” he said.

“I’m excited about it, I’ve been fighting this case for over a year, I can’t believe it’s over. When we found the dog I thought my life was going to be better.”

The footballer posted videos on social media of damage in his home in West Hollywood and CCTV images of three men wearing hoods in 2019 when the dog went missing.

He said: “We will pay anything for the dog.”

“Whoever brings my dog back, 20 grand, 30 grand, whatever.”

Sturridge was reunited with Lucci two days later, with Mr Washington posting images of the dog on his Twitter account, asking: “Is this Lucci?”

Sturridge said he was “so thankful” to people who had “raised awareness,” but did not confirm whether he had paid the reward.

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