When Chesney, a 4-year-old Maltese, returned from a dog groomer in Baltimore County, he was, in his owner?s words, “a mess.”
“There was blood on his fur around his nose and mouth,” Darlene Andrzejewski said Tuesday. “He was strangled.”
The woman accused of abusing Chesney ? dog groomer Celeste Rainone, 53 ? turned down a plea deal Tuesday in Baltimore County District Court that would have allowed her to avoid additional jail time. Rainone is already serving a three-month sentence in the Baltimore County Detention Center after a judge convicted her of injuring a poodle named Rajah, resulting in the dog?s death.
“I?m totally sorry that something happened to that little dog,” Rainone told Judge Nancy Purpura, before asking fora postponement. “I?m beside myself. I don?t know what to say.” The trial is postponed until Feb. 4.
Andrzejewski said she?s not happy with any deal that allows Rainone to avoid additional jail time.
“She should get more jail time,” she said. “She should have to pay restitution.”
Andrzejewski said she?s also not satisfied with Baltimore County?s response to her dog?s injuries, which occurred June 28, 2006. After several animal hospital visits, the dog made a full recovery.
Andrzejewski said things turned ugly after she took her dog to be groomed by Rainone ? and received a call from a man at the shop telling her Chesney had bitten Rainone.
When Andrzejewski arrived after 5 p.m., Chesney “was curled up in the corner of the cage,” and Rainone began screaming, “Look at what he did to me!” according to charging documents.
Rainone was “screaming that she was going to kill that dog,” and Andrzejewski left “very upset,” court documents state.
“Chesney was also limping on his rear left leg,” his owner said.
Andrzejewski didn?t think she could press charges, until she read of a similar incident involving Rainone in The Examiner. She then contacted police.
On Oct. 1, Baltimore County District Judge Barbara Jung convicted Rainone, a Shrewsbury, Pa., resident, of animal cruelty and mutilation in the Feb. 17 death of Rajah, a 14-year-old poodle owned by Baltimore County resident Nancy Pine.
Andrzejewski said she initially complained to county officials about Rainone?s treatment of her dog, but she “got the runaround” and nothing was done.
“If I could have convinced the county to shut down her business, maybe Nancy?s dog would haven?t suffered that way,” Andrzejewski said.
Grooming by Celeste at 5235 Hydes Road in Baltimore County operated until Nov. 19, when Rainone was sentenced to jail.
