Couple demands justice after dog dies in trainer's care during honeymoon
Emeka and Masera Ndukwe returned to Texas from their honeymoon early after learning their bernedoodle, Brooklyn, died in the care of the dog trainer they entrusted him with.
A trainer who waited days to inform a newly-wedded couple that their dog died in his care while they were on their honeymoon was indicted on felony animal cruelty charges.
A Texas grand jury indicted dog trainer Alan Brown on Wednesday with three charges of animal abuse and three charges of tampering with evidence for the deaths of three dogs in his care. The indictment listed possible ways the dogs may have died, including unsafe temperatures, failure to provide water or food, overworking and more. It also alleged Brown knowingly impaired evidence by failing to preserve the bodies of the dogs.
"Alan Brown loves animals and has devoted decades to helping owners better care for their dogs," Brown's attorney, James Luster, said in a statement to Fox News. "Our hearts go out to those who are grieving the loss of a beloved pet."
"These misguided allegations are driven by heartache," he added. "We look forward to helping investigators more fully understand the situation and setting the record straight."
Emeka and Masera Ndukwe, whose bernedoodle, Brooklyn, died while staying with Brown, went viral on social media this summer when they collected evidence and shared their experience.
COUPLE DEMANDS JUSTICE AFTER DOG DIES IN TRAINER'S CARE DURING HONEYMOON
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"I think he's earned what he's earned," Emeka, who lives in Dallas, told Fox News. "It’s out of my hands, I ran my race."
Emeka and Masera first began to have concerns about Brown when he repeatedly failed to provide photo updates of the dog during their June vacation. After the couple told Brown their friends were coming to get Brooklyn, he admitted the dog died days after being left in his van.
"I think he thought we would stay in Europe, which we clearly didn't," Emeka said. "We took the first flight home, and then we became investigators."
Emeka and Masera Ndukwe said they fell in love with Brooklyn when meeting him while he was a puppy. (Courtesy of Emeka and Masera Ndukwe)
Emeka and Masera compiled evidence from the veterinarian who received Brooklyn’s body, photos and videos of the van that was at a repair shop, the stories from the owners of the other two dead dogs and more. They believe their work contributed to Brown’s indictment.
"The district attorney’s office said that they've never really seen anything as thorough as what we put together and that it was able to kind of help them connect the dots in a meaningful way," Emeka said.
While they were away, the dog trainer of over 13 years told Masera that Brooklyn’s training was going well when, in reality, Brooklyn died about two days after they dropped him off.
Text messages show Emeka and Masera Ndukwe were led to believe their dog was doing well during training when he was actually already dead. (Courtesy of Emeka and Masera Ndukwe)
"The reason that I delayed contacting you is because you’re in France," Brown said to the Ndukwes over the phone while being filmed by their friends who came to get the dog. "I did not call your emergency contact person. I should’ve, no question about that."
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"The only thing that I did wrong was not contact them immediately," he continued. "My concern was every single anniversary from now until whenever—"
Brown said he left the air conditioning on in the van where he kept Brooklyn while he trained another dog.
Emeka said he wouldn't leave his "worst enemy" in Brown's van that was filled with tools and junk. (Courtesy of Emeka and Masera Ndukwe)
Brown asked for directions on how to perform chest compressions before bringing the dog’s body to Creekside Pet Care Center, according to an email from a local veterinarian technician working there.
A necropsy indicated heatstroke was suspected due to the clinical history, but couldn’t be confirmed because the dog was placed in cold-storage, which tainted the evaluation.
The owner of another dog who died in Brown’s care two weeks before Brooklyn said he wasn’t notified of his dog’s death until he picked him up, according to CBS Texas. A German Shepherd named Booster also died in Brown’s care in 2021, WFAA reported.
Alan Brown told Emeka and Masera Ndukwe's friends he was concerned about spoiling their future anniversaries by sharing the news of their dog's death while they were on their honeymoon. (Courtesy of Emeka and Masera Ndukwe)
"I don’t really think when we started that we thought we would get here," Emeka added. "I think it was really a long shot, but in my mind, I felt like it was what Brooklyn, as a member of our family, deserved."
While he hopes for justice, Emeka said he feels sorry for Brown.
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"It's hard for me to be excited about a life being ruined, but he put us here," he said. "If he had just done the right thing, we wouldn’t be here."
The Tarrant County District Attorney's office declined to comment.
Click here to hear more from Emeka and Masera.