MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A Martin County judge has denied a motion to dismiss the felony animal cruelty case against Palm City dog trainer Nikki Camerlengo, whose trial has been delayed at least nine times since her arrest more than two years ago.
Prosecutor Kristen Chase confirmed to WPTV that Judge Elizabeth Metzger denied the defense's second amended motion to dismiss during a 9 a.m. hearing held Wednesday.
Camerlengo's attorneys filed the motion, seeking to have the charges thrown out. Prosecutors opposed the request, filing a motion arguing the defense's amended motion was "procedurally invalid and facially insufficient."
Wednesday's ruling means the case against Camerlengo will continue, though a trial date has yet to be set.
Camerlengo, the owner of Pawsitively Paradise in Palm City, was arrested in June 2024 on two felony animal cruelty charges after Martin County detectives said two dogs died while in her care.
Her arrest followed a WPTV investigation that linked at least seven dog deaths or serious injuries to her training and boarding facility over the course of a decade.
A case plagued by delays
The latest ruling comes after more than two years of courtroom delays, disputes over expert witnesses and growing frustration from the judge overseeing the case.
During a contentious July hearing, Metzger questioned both prosecutors and Camerlengo's defense team about why the case had yet to go to trial.
"I wanted you here, because I thought I was very clear in the past on what you needed to do," Metzger said. "This case has been continued so many times, I've lost count."
In September, the trial was delayed for a ninth time after prosecutors told the court that a key witness was on medical disability and would be unable to testify until at least the end of January 2027.
That witness must first testify at a hearing to determine whether she will be permitted to testify at trial.
Camerlengo's defense attorney, Stuart Kaplan, has also sought to exclude testimony from the Texas veterinary pathologist who performed necropsies on the two dogs and the lead detective who investigated their deaths.
"I think the detective jumped the gun, so to speak. I don't think she had all of the facts," Kaplan previously told WPTV.
Dog owners still waiting for answers
Among those closely following the case is Adele Kirk Csontos, whose dog, Mako, died after spending approximately 48 hours at Pawsitively Paradise in November 2022.
Kirk Csontos filed a police report following Mako's death, but Camerlengo was never charged in connection with it because his necropsy was inconclusive.
Necropsies of two other dogs determined they died from blunt force trauma, leading to Camerlengo's arrest.
"I mean, I know the wheels of justice turn very slowly, but no, I didn't think it would be two years," Kirk Csontos previously told WPTV.
Despite the repeated delays, she said she remains hopeful.
"I'm still hopeful. Believe it or not, I'm still hopeful that she will be held accountable," she said.
Camerlengo's next court appearance, a docket sounding, is scheduled for Dec. 1.
No trial date has been announced.