‘He was completely lifeless’: Massachusetts, man convicted in bizarre, fatal case of animal cruelty

By Shaun Chaiyabhat & Imani Clement

Click here for updates on this story

    DRACUT, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Eight-year-old Seamus, a Yorkshire Terrier, was Martha Sablone’s last memory of her late husband.

“After my husband passed away, Seamus was the last piece of him that we had left,” Sablone said. “He was our grief comfort animal.”

Seamus lived with Sablone in their Dracut, Massachusetts, home until 2023, when she gave her son’s childhood friend a place to stay.

“That’s when things started to happen to Seamus, when he was the only one home at the house,” Sablone said.

Seamus turned up with several mysterious injuries and broken bones, eventually needing physical therapy. Even during his recovery, Seamus developed more injuries.

Then, the worst happened on Dec. 11, 2023, when Sablone came home to find Seamus dead in his playpen.

“He was completely lifeless, his belly was distended,” Sablone said. “He had a partially severed tongue. There were bloody paper towels in the trash. There was feces in my living room carpet.”

Seamus was pronounced dead at the Wignall Animal Hospital.

A necropsy performed on Seamus found serious injuries, including broken ribs, a collapsed lung and blunt-force trauma, Dracut police said.

“The animal control officer, Colleen, came in and said, ‘This is not an accident,'” said Sablone’s daughter-in-law, Brianna Plummer.

“This is probably one of the worst cases of animal cruelty,” Sablone said. “When he said guilty, I lost it because I finally heard the truth.”

A police investigation identified Anthony Segnini, the family friend who moved into the Sablone home, as a suspect in Seamus’ death.

Segnini was charged with animal cruelty and later convicted and recently sentenced to two and a half years in prison. A judge ordered him to serve nine months with the remainder delayed for two years.

“In the state of Massachusetts, animals are considered property,” Sablone said. “Seamus wasn’t property, Seamus was family.”

“I think the laws do need to catch up when someone premeditates something or brutally carries out a crime. There should be levels of animal cruelty, not just a simple charge,” Plummer said.

Since Seamus’ death, Sablone has kept him close in jewelry she wears around her neck as she fought for justice.

“The last 21 months have been absolutely horrible, but I did it because this is what Al wanted me to do. So Seamus had a voice,” Sablone said.

Her memory of Seamus was not of his final day, but of the joy he brought.

“He was just a snugglebug. Lots of love. Big big piece of my heart,” Sablone said.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.