A Martin County judge on Wednesday rejected a motion to dismiss the felony animal cruelty case against Palm City dog trainer Nikki Camerlengo, allowing the prosecution to continue after at least nine trial delays since her arrest more than two years ago.
Judge Elizabeth Metzger denied the defense’s second amended motion to dismiss during a 9 a.m. hearing, prosecutor Kristen Chase confirmed. Prosecutors had opposed the request to throw out the charges, arguing in a court filing that the defense’s amended motion was “procedurally invalid and facially insufficient.”
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. Necropsies determined that the two dogs died from blunt force trauma, leading to her arrest.
The case has faced repeated delays and disputes over expert witnesses. At a contentious hearing in July, 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.
Camerlengo’s next court appearance, a docket sounding, is scheduled for Dec. 1.