Kampala — THE Nakawa Magistrate's Court has dismissed a case brought against a woman by animal rights activists accusing her of mistreating her dog.

Nakawa Chief Magistrate Deo Ssejjemba said there was no evidence that the accused, Maureen Combe, abused the dog.

"In the final analysis, I thought the accused, or whoever owns this dog, could not afford to do acts of cruelty to this dog. I should say, there must have been some other motive on the part of the complainant in coming up with this allegation," Ssejjemba said.

The Uganda Society for the Protection and Care of Animals had accused Combe of failing to feed the dog and tying it with a short chain. The group also said Combe left the flea-infested dog unattended to for several days. The white hairy Maltese dog is about three years old.

The magistrate said Katia Ruiz, a biologist and a volunteer with the activists, was not a competent witness.

"It should be noted that Katia is not a veterinary doctor. She did not in her testimony talk about any experience in the treatment of animals. She would, therefore, not be the best person to testify in this matter," Ssejjemba said.

The magistrate further said no evidence was tendered in court to show that the canine was suffering from fleas.

"The matter appears to be a fabrication against the accused person," Ssejjemba told the fully-packed court.

After the judgment, Katia Ruiz complained to the magistrate in his chambers for about 10 minutes, expressing fears that Combe would continue mistreating the dog if it was left under her care.

She said one of her officials, Remmy Mukulu, found the dog in a bad state while under Combe's care.

However, the magistrate advised her to file an appeal if she was dissatisfied with the judgment. Four animal activists who were present in court declined to say whether they would appeal.

After the magistrate ordered that the dog be returned to the owner, Combe grabbed it from one of the officers of the rights group in the magistrate's chambers.