Randburg Magistrate’s Court hears dog cruelty case
The trial of a man accused of abusing his dog got underway in court this week, with cross-examination of the first witness ongoing.
A Bryanston man, accused of abusing his dog, appeared in court this week as his trial got underway, with the state calling its first witness to the stand
Trevor Nkuna faces two charges under Section 2 of the Animal Cruelty Act, one relating to the alleged abuse itself and the other to his alleged failure to get the injured dog the medical care it needed.
Prosecutor Pooja Maharaj said the case began after Lee-Ann Ramalho, from the Dogs Trust, received an anonymous tip that a dog was being mistreated by its owner at a property on Cambridge Road in Bryanston.
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When Ramalho and an animal welfare inspector went to investigate, a young woman on the property led them straight to Nkuna, after they asked about a black shepherd dog named Ali.
Nkuna told them he owned the dog and chose to give the animal up voluntarily, signing a handwritten note to confirm the surrender.
Maharaj said the defence, when cross-examining Ramalho, argued that Nkuna did not actually own the dog, and that the animal had been abandoned on the property. She said, however, that Ramalho’s evidence told a different story, with several people pointing to Nkuna as the owner.
Besides the anonymous tipper and the young woman who led them to him, Nkuna identified himself as the owner, and a fourth man later told Ramalho that Nkuna struggled to tell the difference between disciplining a dog and beating it.
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The cross-examination is expected to resume on August 26. Maharaj said she was unlikely to re-examine Ramalho afterwards, calling her a strong witness who held firmly to her original account under questioning.
Once her evidence wraps up, the state plans to call Eugene Haricharan, the animal welfare inspector who helped seize the dog, followed by the vet who treated it.
Speaking outside court, Haricharan reflected on how far the case had come since it began two years ago. He said Ali was doing well and had settled into a loving new home, though her recovery had been a long journey.
He said his passion for animal welfare and his hope of seeing justice done kept him committed to seeing the case through.
The Randburg Sun contacted Nkuna for comment, but he declined to respond at this time.
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