Trainer guilty of lesser charges in animal cruelty case

MILFORD — Danielle Assante was found guilty of the lesser five of ten 2006 animal cruelty charges against her at a Monday bench trial in the Pike County Court of Common Pleas. After hearing testimony, Judge Joseph Kameen found Assante guilty of five summary charges and not guilty of five misdemeanor charges, all sub-sections of a Pennsylvania animal cruelty law. The maximum penalty for each of the charges for which she was convicted is a fine of up to $750 and up to 90 days in jail. Sentencing will take place in Milford on Oct. 18 at 9:30 a.m. Barry Heim, supervisor of the Pike County Humane Society said nine pet animals were dead and three were severely emaciated when he arrived at Assante’s house in Birchwood Lakes on May 24 of last year. Heim had been called by one of Assante’s neighbors. He rescued the three still living animals which were taken back to the Humane Society’s shelter and nursed back to health. Assante had left the 12 animals with no food or water for three weeks. During her three week absence last year she had returned to Birchwood to visit her boyfriend. “She didn’t even check on the animals,” Heim said. Her return was electronically verified by her “gate card” to get into Birchwood Lakes for the visit, he said. On Monday, Randolph Borden, Assante’s attorney blocked the open reading of all the evidence in court, although Judge Kameen did read it, Heim told the Courier. In August 2006, Assante was arrested by state police and charged with ten counts of animal cruelty. Borden then claimed Assante had suffered a nervous breakdown. “Her life was just falling apart and she was just running away from everything,” he said, following a hearing in Delaware Township. “This office is respectfully and vehemently in disagreement with the decision Judge Kameeen rendered,” Pike County Assistant District Attorney Bruce DeSarro said Wednesday. DeSarro told the Courier that he believes the reason for Kameen’s decision was that it wasn’t clear that Assante did anything “intentionally.” “I might as well just quit. Do I have to see someone kill an animal right in front of me to make a charge stick?” said Heim. He went on to say, “I’m going to be writing our state legislators asking them to redefine the law that covers situations such as this.” Assante was a certified animal trainer according to a former employer. Now 22, she had been working with animals since she was 15.