An unlicensed dog keeper accused of neglecting and mistreating animals has pleaded not guilty to a handful of the 135 charges he faces.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Stefan Trpcevski, 34, his brother, Aleksander Ski, and his mother Lidija Ski are all facing criminal charges over allegations dozens of dogs were kept in extremely poor conditions at two Canberra houses.
Authorities raided the two properties in Macquarie and Ainslie late in 2013, and say they found 27 dogs in varying states of neglect.
Trpcveski is now facing a vast number of charges, some relating to a failure to desex dogs, others for failing to comply with licensing requirements or noise complaints.
He repeatedly interjected during his appearance in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday, at one point questioning why his brother, who has serious mental health problems, has been charged.
Trpcevski said the animals weren't his brother's and that he'd taken them to his brother's home.
He entered not guilty pleas to a handful of the 135 charges he is facing, and a 10-day hearing has been set down for February next year.
Magistrate Robert Cook told him he must enter pleas to the remainder on his next court appearance, or not guilty pleas would be entered on his behalf.
It is alleged that many of the animals did not have proper access to water and were not given vet treatment or exercise.
Some were allegedly kept in the sun with no shade in a backyard littered with cars, metal sheeting, and other debris.
Domestic Animal Services inspectors say some of the dogs were severely underweight, had untreated wounds, and matted fur.
Trpcevski told the court he was dealing with a lot of stress as a result of the court proceedings and other family troubles in his life.
He asked for more time to go through the case against him before entering pleas.
The prosecution told the court that Trpcevski had been heard outside the court saying he was going to drag out the proceedings.
Trpcevski interjected to deny that.
Aleksander Ski's lawyer Craig Lynch told the court he needed more time to investigate his client's mental health problems.
He said there would possible be questions raised about his fitness to plead.
Ski's case will return to court in July.
