If you’re a prominent professional athlete and you’re offering a reward for something on social media, here’s a piece of advice: comply with the terms and conditions you set. Otherwise, you could find yourself in a situation that should have included a heartwarming reunion of a man and his dog, but instead turns into a drawn-out legal battle.
The focus is on the English soccer player Daniel Sturridge, who became well known through his stints at Chelsea and Liverpool. In 2019, Sturridge took to social media with some alarming news — that someone had broken into his Los Angeles home and that his (ridiculously adorable) Pomeranian Lucci was missing
“I want my dog back and I will pay whatever,” Sturridge said on Instagram. “The cost doesn’t matter. bring my dog back 20, 30 grand, whatever it costs.” Sturridge did not specify the currency, although one would assume, as an Englishman living in the United States, that he meant either dollars or pounds.
Here the case took a turn. As The New York Times A Los Angeles man named Foster Washington reportedly found Lucci and returned the dog to Sturridge. What he didn’t get was the reward, which ultimately led to Washington filing a lawsuit. That, in turn, prompted a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to enter a $30,000 default judgment in favor of Washington.
For his part, Sturridge has argued that he has already paid a reward for Lucci’s return. It’s been a challenging month for Sturridge, who has also dealt with various issues at current club Perth Glory – including a COVID-related quarantine affecting the entire team.
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