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Trial for Palm City dog trainer Nikki Camerlengo delayed until at least 2027

Key prosecution witness is on medical disability and cannot testify until at least January, while a defense motion to dismiss could push trial further into 2027

Matthew Kauerauf, WPTV News

A Palm City dog trainer's animal cruelty trial has been delayed for the 9th time — now pushed to at least 2027.

By: Kate Hussey

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and last updated

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — The trial for Palm City dog trainer and boarder Nikki Camerlengo has been delayed until 2027 — at least the ninth continuance in a case that began more than two years ago.

In court Wednesday morning, prosecutor Kristin Chase said one of the state's key witnesses is on medical disability and told Judge Elizabeth Metzger that doctors say she cannot testify until at least the end of January.

That witness must first testify at a hearing to determine whether she will be allowed to take the stand at trial. Metzger is now aiming for February for that hearing, pushing any potential trial date even further back.

Camerlengo faces two counts of animal cruelty in the deaths of two dogs, deputies say, that died while in the care of her Palm City training and boarding facility, Pawsitively Paradise. She was arrested in 2024 after Martin County detectives said the dogs died in her care. A WPTV investigation linked at least seven dog deaths or serious injuries to Pawsitively Paradise over the course of a decade.

Her attorneys are now asking the judge to throw out the case altogether. Court records show the defense, on Sept. 2, filed a motion to dismiss, and Metzger ordered both sides to set a hearing on that motion by the end of this week.

Camerlengo's next court date is set for December, though the judge could take up the motion to dismiss sooner.

A case marked by delays and courtroom tension

The latest delay comes after a contentious July 2026 hearing in which Metzger pressed both the prosecution and defense over why the case still hadn't gone to trial.

"I wanted you here, because I thought I was very clear in the past on what you needed to do," Metzger said at that hearing. "This case has been continued so many times, I've lost count."

At one point, an exchange between Metzger and Camerlengo's defense attorney, Stuart Kaplan, grew heated.

"Your Honor, it's of no fault of the defendant," Kaplan said.

"I'm not saying that," Metzger said.

"You're looking at me!" Kaplan said.

"I'm not saying that!" Metzger replied.

Kaplan has asked the court to block testimony from both the Texas veterinary pathologist who performed the two necropsies and from lead investigator Detective Christine Polizzi.

"I think the detective jumped the gun, so to speak. I don't think she had all of the facts," Kaplan told WPTV.

The hearing to decide whether those witnesses can testify has not yet taken place.

A dog owner still waiting for answers

For Adele Kirk Csontos, the wait for justice started even before Camerlengo's arrest. She filed a police report after her dog, Mako, died following 48 hours at Pawsitively Paradise in November 2022.

"I was devastated. ... It's probably going to sound crazy, but I literally for two weeks I couldn't talk to my friends," Kirk Csontos said. "I felt responsible."

Camerlengo was never charged in Mako's death — his necropsy was inconclusive. Necropsies of two other dogs concluded they died from blunt force trauma, leading to her arrest and charges.

"I mean, I know the wheels of justice turn very slowly, but no, I didn't think it would be two years," Kirk Csontos said.

Despite the ongoing delays, Kirk Csontos said she has not given up hope.

"I'm still hopeful. Believe it or not, I'm still hopeful that she will be held accountable," Kirk Csontos said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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