Indiana: Accused hoarder / puppy mill operator Steve Rajcinoski relinquishes rights to disputed dogs in animal cruelty case

INDIANA -- Steve Rajcinoski, the 36-year-old Crown Point man accused in May of running a dangerous dog-breeding operation, agreed at a court hearing Thursday to relinquish his rights to all the animals seized during a police raid earlier this year at his property in Center Township.

Judge Diane Boswell also ruled at the hearing that a trial for the defendant would be held in Lake County, despite the defense's claims the court would be unable to impanel an unbiased jury.

Bob Persin, a deputy prosecuting attorney, told the judge the state has offered a plea agreement to Rajcinoski, but it had not been accepted.

Rajcinoski was charged in June with 11 felony counts of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal, as well as dozens more animal-related misdemeanor offenses, after a raid by the Lake County Sheriff's Department at the defendant's property in the 5900 block of West 125th Avenue.

The sheriff's department seized 72 animals from his property, as well as a number of peacocks and chickens, on allegations Rajcinoski allowed the animals to live in filthy conditions. The department further claimed Rajcinoski performed unlicensed surgery on the animals.

 

Rajcinoski previously reached an agreement with the state to relinquish his rights to 68 of the seized animals — 64 dogs, three goats and a miniature horse — and he would post bond for the remaining nine dogs.

David Rooda, another deputy prosecuting attorney, said Thursday at the court hearing the defendant had not paid the $2,700 per month bond required to secure the nine animals.

Rajcinoski spoke with his attorneys, J. Michael Woods and Paul Stracci, and afterward told the judge he would relinquish his rights to the dogs.

The attorneys also argued on a motion by the defense to move the jury trial for Rajcinoski outside the county.

Woods argued law enforcement made improper statements about the defendant before charges were filed, and those statements were embellished and shared on social media, causing the community to become unfairly biased against the defendant.

He said that bias was evident in the flood of angry phone calls and social media messages received by the court's judges, three of whom recused themselves because of the uninvited communications.

 

Boswell agreed there were residents who were “boisterous and determined” in their opinions about the case, “but that doesn't mean we cannot find 14 impartial jurors.”

The judge said she had not received any communications about the case, and she guaranteed there would be no protesters in her courtroom.

A new hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28.

 

(NWI Times - September 1, 2017)

Earlier:

• Indiana: Sheriff's police seize 68 dogs from Steve Rajcinoski's home in Center Township
• Indiana: Alleged puppy mill operator / dog hoarder Steve Rajcinoski faces mutilation charges
• Indiana: Public furor causes judge to recuse from animal abuse case against Steve Rajcinoski
• Indiana: Steve Rajcinoski, accused of breeding and performing surgery on the dogs, seeks trial outside Lake County

Indiana: Steve Rajcinoski, accused of breeding and performing surgery on the dogs, seeks trial outside Lake County

INDIANA -- The 36-year-old Crown Point man accused of running a dangerous dog breeding operation in Center Township is seeking to stand trial outside Lake County.

The motion for change of venue was filed Friday morning at an initial court hearing for Steve Rajcinoski, who is accused of breeding and performing surgery on the dogs at a property in Center Township.

The Lake County Prosecutor's Office has also reached an agreement with Rajcinoski regarding the custody of the animals seized from his property by Lake County police.

The defendant has agreed to relinquish his rights to 68 of the seized animals — 64 dogs, three goats and a miniature horse — and he will post bond for the remaining nine dogs, according to a press release.

The bond will allow him to retain ownership of the animals until the pending criminal case is completed. If he is found guilty, then he will forfeit his rights to the animals, the release states.

 

 

Rajcinoski appeared at the initial court hearing with defense attorney Paul Stracci.

He stood in the cramped courtroom as Magistrate Judge Kathleen Sullivan read the charges against him: 11 counts of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal, 72 counts of cruelty to animals, 11 counts of practicing veterinary medicine without a license and one count of failure to register as a commercial breeder.

The charges stem from a May 3 police search at Rajcinoski's property in the 5900 block of West 125th Avenue, which allegedly turned up 68 maltreated dogs kept in a poorly ventilated garage.

 

Lake County police said they also found a bucket full of scalpels and medicine — evidence Rajcinoski may have been performing C-sections on the animals.

Sheriff John Buncich told The Times in June that Rajcinoski was a “sick individual” who practiced medicine on the dogs in “filthy conditions.”

Stracci said in his motion to change venue that those statements by the sheriff, among other “inflammatory” and “misleading” statements, have prejudiced the community against Rajcinoski.

The defense attorney said some incensed community members have launched a social media campaign against the defendant and contacted judges demanding he be punished.

 

 

The social media campaign has caused the recusal of three judges, all of whom cited social media posts as a reason for withdrawing from the case. The case is now before Judge Diane Boswell.

A hearing on the motion to change venue is scheduled for Aug. 31.

The animals seized by police have been kept in police custody at the Lake County Sheriff's Animal Adoption & Control Center.

Mark Back, a spokesman for the sheriff's department, said Friday afternoon the relinquished animals would soon be up for adoption.

"We have received many requests for adoption of these animals, so it is likely there will be a lottery system in order to make the process fair," Back said.

(NWI Times - August 31, 2017)

Earlier:

• Indiana: Sheriff's police seize 68 dogs from Steve Rajcinoski's home in Center Township
• Indiana: Alleged puppy mill operator / dog hoarder Steve Rajcinoski faces mutilation charges
  
• Indiana: Public furor causes judge to recuse from animal abuse case against Steve Rajcinoski

Iowa: Sarah McMenamin decided she didn't want to pay for surgery or having her dog euthanized, so police say she butchered the dog to death herself by trying to perform surgery on it with a paring knife and a set of tongs

IOWA -- An Iowa woman was charged with animal neglect after attempting to perform surgery on her dog with a pair of tongs and a kitchen knife, resulting in the dog's death, police have said.

Sarah Diane McMenamin, 26, has been charged with animal neglect causing serious injury or death, according to WTAE.

 

 

Ames Police Officer Geoff Huff said McMenamin took her dog to Iowa State University VetMed after the animal fell ill, and the veterinary staff told her the dog had an obstruction and needed surgery.

Without the surgery, the veterinarians said the dog might need to be euthanized.

McMenamin arranged it have the dog put down at a different vet clinic on June 1, according to police, but didn't take the dog to the appointment.

When she didn't show up, veterinary staff were worried she wasn't getting the dog the help it needed and called on police to perform a welfare check.

Police went to her home at 2825 Arbor Street, where McMenamin told them she tried to perform the surgery herself using a paring knife and tongs, WTAE reported. 

She told police she did not think the dog had an obstruction, and instead thought it might have consumed rat poison.

She also claimed she attempted the surgery because she couldn't afford the vet's prices - and clearly didn't want to pay to have the dog euthanized, which was cheaper.

Hoff said McMenamin told police she grew up on a farm castrating pigs, and because of this, claimed she thought she would be able to perform the operation.

McMenamin performed the surgery on the dog in the living room of her home, and police have accused her of causing the dog 'unjustified pain, distress or suffering' that resulted in the dog's death.

She was booked into Story County Jail before being let out on bond, and will appear in court Monday, according to the Ames Tribune.

 

 

PREVIOUS ARREST:
Sep 1, 2016 - Sarah Diane Mcmenamin, 25, of 2825 Arbor Street, Ames, Iowa, was arrested on a warrant for public intoxication in the 800 block of State Ave.

(Daily Mail - June 23, 2017)

Indiana: Public furor causes judge to recuse from animal abuse case against Steve Rajcinoski

INDIANA -- A criminal court judge has recused herself from the case against a 36-year-old Crown Point man charged with animal neglect and mutilation on allegations he ran a dangerous dog breeding operation at a property in Center Township.

Judge Julie Cantrell was expected to hold a court hearing Monday for Steve Rajcinoski, who was charged last week with 11 felony counts of animal mutilation, as well as several dozen misdemeanor offenses, after police allegedly discovered 68 maltreated dogs last month at his property in the 5900 block of West 125th Avenue.

Cantrell canceled the court hearing and recused herself from the case Monday due to “numerous uninvited ex-parte communications” that have occurred through “social media and telephone calls,” according to online court records.

Cantrell could not be reached for comment Tuesday. A gag order prohibits other parties involved in the case from discussing the allegations. Judges recuse themselves in both criminal and civil cases if they think they have a conflict of interest, or because they believe they may be unable to be impartial.

The case has been reassigned to Judge Jesse Villalpando, of the Lake County Superior Court in Hammond, records state. A new court date has not yet been scheduled.

The case against Rajcinoski, which includes allegations he performed C-sections on the animals and kept them caged in a poorly ventilated garage, has caused a furor on social media.

 

 

A Facebook search for “Judge Julie Cantrell” revealed several public messages from residents urging others on the social media website to contact the judge's chambers regarding the allegations against Rajcinoski.

In a message posted Sunday on Facebook, ABRA Inc., a nonprofit animal adoption organization in Crown Point, urged its more than 6,000 followers on Facebook to attend the hearing for Rajcinoski or contact the judge by telephone.

The organization said in an email Wednesday afternoon that it wanted to encourage residents to contact their elected officials to let them know that such “heinous acts” should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

“As residents of Indiana we want to be seen as a state that will address and prosecute any individual whose animals are in the condition of these confiscated animals,” the organization said.

 

 

The organization said it wanted lawmakers to strengthen laws that protect the well-being of animals in the state.

Rajcinoski has posted a $2,000 bond and hired defense attorney Paul Stracci, according to records.

(NWI Times - June 14, 2017)

Earlier:

• Indiana: Sheriff's police seize 68 dogs from Steve Rajcinoski's home in Center Township
• Indiana: Alleged puppy mill operator / dog hoarder Steve Rajcinoski faces mutilation charges
  

Indiana: Alleged puppy mill operator / dog hoarder Steve Rajcinoski faces mutilation charges

INDIANA -- Police have secured felony charges against a 36-year-old Crown Point man on allegations of animal neglect and mutilation.

The charges come a month after police seized 68 dogs, including 50 puppies, from Steve Rajcinoski's Center Township property.

Rajcinoski faces 11 counts of felony animal mutilation, 72 counts of animal neglect, 11 counts of practicing veterinary medicine without a license and one count of failing to register as a commercial breeder with the state, according to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff's Department. Police said Rajcinoski is not in custody as of Thursday afternoon.

Sheriff's police executed a search warrant May 3 in the 5900 block of West 125th Avenue in Center Township after receiving a complaint about someone hoarding animals. At the time, officers found 68 dogs as well as three goats, a miniature horse and a number of peacocks and chickens.

Police said they also found a bucket full of scalpels, medicine and evidence the man discarded carcasses at a garage where the dogs were found.

The owner reportedly did not have a license to breed animals and had medical equipment used to perform C-sections, police have said.

 

 

At the time of the executed search warrant, the owner's name was being withheld pending formal charges.

Lake County Sheriff John Buncich said last month the man is "a very sick individual. He doesn't have a license that we could find to practice (veterinary medicine)," Buncich said. "And the conditions in which he practiced it were filthy conditions."

The man may have been performing C-sections on animals because some of the breeds are known to have trouble delivering puppies, he said.

 

"He just wanted to make sure he could get the litter," Buncich said.

Tips led police to garage

Sheriff's police received information a year ago about the Center Township property, but an initial investigation didn't pan out, Buncich said last month.

Police returned to the property after receiving another tip several weeks ago about a person possibly hoarding animals there, he said.

 

 

The smell in the garage where the animals were kept was overwhelming, Buncich said. The animals were housed in cages, and there was little light and poor ventilation in the garage, he said.

"It was a very terrible situation," Buncich said.

Police spent more than seven hours at the property. A couple of dogs required immediate medical care, and the rest were taken to the Lake County Sheriff's Animal Adoption & Control Center in Crown Point, Buncich said.

(NWI Times - June 8, 2017)

Earlier:

• Indiana: Sheriff's police seize 68 dogs from Steve Rajcinoski's home in Center Township