Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Cats, kittens sold in poor health

Cats, kittens sold in poor health
Milwaukee, WI (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Jan 9, 2006
County: Milwaukee
Local Map: available
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Nicole M Piotrowski

Case Updates: 3 update(s) available

Case ID: 6999

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment, Unlawful Trade/Smuggling

Animal: cat

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Since the tale of a Burlington woman selling sickly felines got media attention in the metro Milwaukee area, Burlington police have had six more victims come forward. Detective Sgt. Bret Maus of the City of Burlington Police Department said the six others who have come forward in the week since the story broke brings the total number of victims to a dozen. He expects that number could grow, Maus said, as another Milwaukee television was expected to air a segment on the woman police arrested last week.

As of press deadline, the Racine County district attorney�s office had yet to determine whether to criminally charge the woman, Nicole M. Piotrowski, 38. However, she does face municipal charges in connection with the case.

After months of legwork trying to connect Piotrowski to the crime of selling sick felines, police got the break they needed when she walked into the police station on an unrelated matter Jan. 9, 2006, and was subsequently arrested. Although the district attorney�s office has yet to make a determination into pursuing Piotrowski criminally, Maus believes the fact that six more victims have come forward helps solidify the city�s case for criminal prosecution. Much like the previous six victims, Maus said the latest to come forward all purchased cats � some as many as two � that within a period of days either died or had to be euthanized due to the severity of their health conditions.

Police contend Piotrowski, who was peddling the cats via an advertisement in a Milwaukee newspaper, knew the animals were in poor health, but was looking to turn a quick buck after purchasing them for as little as $20 each and then selling them for between $50 to $150.

The victims, who are from all over southeast Wisconsin, allegedly purchased cats as recently as two months ago from the woman and, in one case, as far back as August of 2004. As to the length of time it took for some victims to come forward or even seek police help, Maus said he isn�t surprised to see it. �People might think that they�re just an isolated incident and may not know what their options are,� he said. Like some of the other cases, the real victims of the cat scam were children. Maus said one victim had purchased a cat for his 3-year-old son and 4-yearold daughter, only to have it die days after getting it home. �It�s really kind of heartbreaking,� Maus said.

While the woman is ordered to appear in Burlington Municipal Court on March 3, 2006 to enter a plea in connection with the local citations issued against her, the stakes could be far greater if the D.A.�s office decides to pursue the matter. �It�s really in their hands to decide how far they�re going to take this on a criminal level,� Maus said, referring the to county prosecutor�s office.

Initially the Burlington police had been seeking six counts of theft with intent to defraud and six counts of animal mistreatment. That number could increase, given the additional victims who have come forward at a rate of nearly one every day since the story broke.

Case Updates

Nicole Piotrowski, the Burlington woman accused of repeatedly selling fatally ill kittens, listened to testimony from witnesses Wednesday morning, whispering to her lawyer after every few statements.

Piotrowski, 38, has been charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, and misdemeanor theft by fraud for selling kittens that died or became gravely ill shortly after they were bought. Burlington police said they received complaints from 26 people, 17 of which have been documented. The complaints stem from kittens bought between September 2005 and December 2005.

Piotrowski did not accept a plea agreement offered by the District Attorney's Office, and the hearing went forward as scheduled. The state called three witnesses.

Christopher Pye, a man who bought two kittens from Piotrowski in October 2005, said he spent about $700 in vet bills for kittens that had to be put to sleep because they had distemper.

"She made a point to say they all had their shots and had been deflead because she had a thing about fleas," Pye said.

He and his family went to buy one cat, but came away with two because both his son and daughter wanted kittens of their own. They spent $100 on the kittens on Oct. 15. Five days later, on Oct. 21, the kittens began to have problems, he said. Pye had the day off work and one kitten, Shadow, was sick that morning.

"She couldn't even walk," he said. "It looked like she was dazed. She would just fall over on her side. I thought maybe the kids had hurt her or something."

He made an appointment for 11 a.m., but within a half hour the kittens' condition had worsened. She was barely breathing and had lost control of her bladder.

"I packed the cat up and took her in," he said. "I went up to the counter and said `I have an 11 o'clock appointment, and I don't think she's gonna make it that long.' " Veterinary staff gave the cat fluids, took her temperature and a blood sample that showed a very low white blood cell count, likely caused by distemper. Later that day the other cat got sick, Pye said, and he brought the second kitten into the office as well. The next day the vet called and said neither kitten was improving, and he had them put down. Their 9-year-old cat had to have tests done to ensure it hadn't caught distemper or anything else from the kittens.

Between purchasing the cats and the vet bills Pye spent $800.

The veterinarian who examined Pye's cats, Jessica West of the Muskego Animal Hospital, said she saw four kittens with similar symptoms that had been purchased from Piotrowski; three died.

Defense attorney Thomas Kasen questioned whether distemper, caused by a virus, was really responsible for the kittens' illnesses. The animal hospital performed blood cell count tests, but did not do another, much more expensive test that can definitively tell the presence of the virus that causes distemper.

"There's nothing else that can cause such a significant decrease in white blood cells in a kitten," West said.

She also said there was nothing Pye could have done to improve the kittens' condition while they were in his home.

Michelle Cannon, a community services officer with the Burlington Police Department, said she and the Racine County Humane Officer had told Piotrowski to stop selling kittens in June, four months before Pye bought his kittens.

They went to Piotrowski's home after a woman called after her kitten died.

"I entered the defendant's home and I noticed the smell of cats," she said. "There were cats running all over the place. Most were pretty sickly looking, with big bellies and runny eyes."

She said there were between 15 and 18 cats, mostly kittens, but a few adult cats as well. She said they considered citing her for a municipal violation, because she had more animals in her home than is allowed, but instead told her she had diseases in her home, likely distemper, and that kittens were dying.

"She agreed they were dying," Cannon said. "Because some had died in her home."

She said they did not issue citations because she hoped at that time that Piotrowski would be willing to work with the department to fix the problems that were occurring.

"I wished to work with Nicole to the best of our abilities," Cannon said. "I thought it was necessary to call the Racine County Humane Officer to come and visit with me to get an expert opinion and to help deal with Nicole so we could work with Nicole before it turned into anything more. I thought at the time that Nicole could curb her behavior before anything more serious had to be done."

Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch found probable cause, and bound Piotrowski over for trial. Her arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. March 27.

Source: The Journal Times - March 2, 2006
Update posted on Mar 6, 2006 - 9:03AM

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The preliminary hearing for the Burlington woman charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor counts of animal mistreatment has been postponed. Nicole M. Piotrowski, 38, was to appear before Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch February 15, 2006 for her preliminary hearing, but neither she nor her attorney were in the courtroom when the case was initially called. Piotrowski has been accused of selling kittens so ill they had to be euthanized within days of reaching their new homes. Her hearing was initially scheduled for 9 a.m., and she came into the courtroom briefly, prior to her case being called. When Rudebusch called her case Piotrowski was not in the courtroom, and no one was able to find her in the lower level of the Law Enforcement Center. Her attorney, Thomas Kasen, was not present. Assistant District Attorney Mike Luell told the court Kasen told him he was going to be a little late and that he planned to ask for an adjournment of the hearing until a later date. The court took a short break at 10 a.m., and Piotrowski again appeared for a short time before leaving to wait in the lobby outside the courtroom. Rudebusch called the case again shortly after returning to the bench, but Piotrowski did not appear. Rudebusch said she would issue a warrant for Piotrowski�s arrest if she did not appear before the court by 5 p.m.. Piotrowski and Kasen did come before Rudebusch in the afternoon, satisfying the warrant. The preliminary hearing has been rescheduled for another date.

Source: Journal Times - February 15, 2006
Update posted on Feb 25, 2006 - 4:42PM

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The woman arrested for selling cats so sick they died within days has reportedly been caught selling kittens again. Burlington police arrested Nicole Piotrowski for animal cruelty and theft by fraud several weeks ago. She was facing at least 12 misdemeanor charges for selling the sick kittens. Some of her customers spent hundreds of dollars in vet bills trying to cure the cats, but they either died or had to be put to sleep, police said.

Piotrowski was told to stop selling the cats. She stopped running the classified ad soliciting buyers for the kittens, and the number she had used was no longer in service.

On January 26, 2006, Burlington police got a phone call from the county's humane officer who said she got an anonymous tip that Piotrowski was again selling kittens, using a different name and phone number. Burlington police had someone call and arrange to buy a kitten, at a $90 asking price. When the phony buyer approached her car, a girl in the back seat handed her a kitten, police said. When Detective Sgt. Bret Maus reportedly approached the car, she told him she did not sell the cat, but the girl in the back seat had sold it. The girl started crying and reportedly told Maus she didn't sell the cat but Piotrowski did. Maus arrested Piotrowski, who posted the $5,000 bond and was released. "She's not under arrest for selling a cat," Maus said. "She's under arrest for cruelty to animals causing death."

She told police she wasn't selling cats, but that she was an animal rescue person, and the $90 was a donation. Piotrowski will be in court at 1:30 p.m. January 30, 2006.

Source: Journal Times - January 30, 2006
Update posted on Feb 11, 2006 - 3:06PM

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References

	Burlington Standard Press - January 23, 2006
	Burlington Beat - March 1, 2006

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Cats, kittens sold in poor healthMilwaukee, WI (US)

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Cats, kittens sold in poor health
Milwaukee, WI (US)