Top Swazi judge in dog fight over pup

Judge Jacobus Annandale, an avid dog-breeder, allegedly sent police officers with a fake court order to nab the long-bodied pup a few days after selling it.

Annandale argues that his neighbour Bhekiwe Dlamini abused the furry sausage dog and is seeking an interdict to keep it.

According to court papers seen on Friday, Annandale alleges Dlamini left the canine to sleep in the cold, infested with flies.

He also alleges that at one point the dog got lost for a week and that its "gums were bleeding and it had broken tooth".

Dlamini refused to sell the dog back at double the $240 asking price, and says the alleged abuse did not concern the judge.

"He pleads that it is rather the dog and not him that has suffered irreparable harm, something which is unheard of," Dlamini said.

A judge last week granted an interim interdict against the neighbour so that a veterinarian can examine the puppy.