PALM CITY, Fla. — Another dog in the care of a Palm City pet grooming business has died, leading to a necropsy to determine if criminal charges are warranted as the Martin County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the mysterious death.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday in a Facebook post that it had received a third complaint about the “suspicious and untimely death of another dog,” this time a 2-year-old labradoodle in care by Nikki Camerlengo, owner of Pawsitively Paradise .
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, necropsies are being conducted on the latest dog to die, along with another remaining in Camerlengo’s care.
This is at least the fourth death in Pawsitively Paradise’s care since 2018.
WPTVs Kate Hussey first reported that the Martin County Sheriff’s Office was investigating the business in November 2022 after a Palm City couple, Dan and Adelle Csontos, said one of their flat-coated retrievers had died.
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“I don’t want to believe it,” Adelle Csantos said at the time. “He’s a happy, healthy dog.”
Hussey reported two other dog deaths earlier this month.
Turner Benoit told WPTV that her mother paid Pawsitively Paradise to train her golden doodle for a week while she underwent knee surgery. Instead, Turner Benoit gets a call from the owner that Flurry has died.
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Benoit said Flurry was young, healthy and had no pre-existing conditions before being placed in Pawsitively Paradise’s care.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said.
WPTV also learned of another mysterious dog death six years ago.
Chalimar Gregory told WPTV that he had put his 4-month-old Rottweiler in the care of Pawsitively Paradise for about a week in 2018 when he got a call that Red had parvovirus.
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However, Red’s vet had a different diagnosis.
“He had a bruised trachea, and they think his spinal cord was severed,” Gregory said. “It’s not a rabbit. It’s not a squirrel. … We’ve got to get Red down.”
When confronted about the deaths earlier this month, Camerlengo said he takes good care of the animals entrusted to him.
“They painted it like I was running a torture camp and that’s not accurate,” he told WPTV.
Chief Deputy John Budensiek told WPTV’s Jamie Ostroff that Camerlengo did not answer the door or phone, and a message on the website said the business was permanently closed.
WATCH: The Chief deputy gave an update on the Pawsitively Paradise investigation
Chief Deputy John Budensiek provides an update on the Pawsitively Paradise investigation
Budensiek said the Camerlengo had previously received six citations related to his business, but for now “nothing will go forward.”
He said Camerlengo did not cooperate with investigators and “allegedly pleaded with elderly people who brought their dogs to the facility not to contact law enforcement.”
“In fact, Nikki wanted to bury the dog,” Budensiek said.
Budensiek said she wants other pet owners to be careful before sending their animals to Pawsitively Paradise.
“This is not normal,” he said.
