A Martin County judge has denied a motion to dismiss the felony animal cruelty case against Nikki Camerlengo, the Palm City dog trainer whose trial has been postponed at least nine times since her arrest more than two years ago.
Prosecutor Kristen Chase confirmed to WPTV that Judge Elizabeth Metzger rejected the defense’s second amended motion during a hearing Wednesday morning. Prosecutors had argued the amended motion was “procedurally invalid and facially insufficient.” The case will proceed, but no trial date has been set.
Camerlengo, owner of Pawsitively Paradise in Palm City, was arrested in June 2024 on two felony counts after Martin County detectives said two dogs died in her care. A WPTV investigation had linked at least seven dog deaths or serious injuries to her facility over about a decade.
Delays and disputes
At a contentious July hearing, Metzger questioned both sides about why the case had not reached trial. In September, the trial was pushed back again after prosecutors said a key witness was on medical disability and could not testify until at least the end of January 2027.
Defense attorney Stuart Kaplan has also asked the court to exclude testimony from the Texas veterinary pathologist who performed the necropsies and from the lead detective on the case.
One dog owner following the case, Adele Kirk Csontos, said her dog Mako died after about 48 hours at the facility in November 2022. Camerlengo was not charged in that death because the necropsy was inconclusive. Necropsies in the two later deaths found blunt force trauma.
Camerlengo’s next court appearance, a docket sounding, is set for Dec. 1.
