Court orders Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn to return South African millionaire’s dog

The court in Amsterdam ruled on Wednesday that Dutch photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn and his wife must return a dog owned by a South African millionaire to him. The man accused Corbijn and his wife of "embezzling" the dog named Jo-Jo.

The South African man filed summary proceedings against the Dutch couple, demanding they return Jo-Jo. Jo-Jo, a 3-year-old Australian shepherd, currently lives in the Netherlands with the Corbijn couple. Before that, he lived at a villa on a Kenyan island, and on a large estate in Ibiza.

South African project developer Michael Ruben owns the dog and the homes in Kenya. He was friends with the Corbijn couple, but the relationship soured after they took his dog.

According to Ruben, Jo-Jo stayed with the Corbijn couple for a period when he had health problems. In May, Corbijn informed Ruben that they didn’t intend to return Jo-Jo because his wife had become emotionally attached to the dog. When it became clear that the couple really intended to keep the dog, Ruben took the matter to court, accusing the Corbijns of embezzlement.

The Dutch couple’s lawyer told FD that it was nonsense that his clients embezzled the dog. They said Ruben neglected the dog and told them to “keep it.” There’s no evidence of this, according to the newspaper.

Ruben is furious about the allegations. According to documents submitted to the court, in Kenya, Jo-Jo and his other dogs have seven staff members at their disposal, with chefs cooking them meat, rice, and vegetables and regular attention from himself, including rose baths with the dogs.

After the ruling, Corbijn and his wife have 48 hours to return the shepherd. The court called it an “urgent interest.” If Corbijn does not return the dog, he must pay a fee of 15,000 euros a day.