Elizabeth Rahmlow (Manitowoc Co. Jail)
MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Elizabeth Rahmlow was fined Monday for abandoning a dog, which was found dead, locked in a kennel in an empty Two Rivers apartment for more than six months.
Rahmlow, 25, pleaded no contest to three charges for the death of the Husky, named Boomer. Those counts are mistreatment of an animal, intentionally abandoning an animal, and failure to provide food and drink to an animal.
For the first count, she was convicted but if she doesn’t commit any crimes for three years, the count will be dismissed. Conditions of that include not being the primary caregiver for any animals.
Rahmlow was fined $250 for the latter two misdemeanor counts by Judge Robert Dewane. A defense request for possible expungement of those counts was denied.
Assistant District Attorney Gail Prost and defense attorney Brett Kaehne both noted Rahmlow’s mental health issues as a factor in the case.
Rahmlow declined to address the judge before the sentence was issued.
According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the Madison Street apartment by someone cleaning out an apartment to move in after they found the dog left by a previous tenant.
The new tenant said Rahmlow had left the apartment a mess, with belongings all over the place.
“He indicated when he first entered the unit at approximately noon that day, there was a putrid smell. He then observed a dog kennel in the room but did not think it had a dog in it since there was just a pile of blankets inside. However, once he moved the blankets, he found the remains of a dog, which appeared to be a husky breed. He indicated the dog was mostly decomposed and was mostly just hair, skin, and bones,” the complaint states.
An officer investigated the scene:
“I observed that the kennel, described as a large gray metal dog kennel, had been mostly disassembled. The bottom of the kennel was composed of metal panels with large black trays underneath. On those grates, I observed large clumps of fur, some of which had what appeared to be skin still attached and stuck to the metal grate. I detected a putrid odor coming from the contents of the kennel. I observed a blue pillow stuck to the metal panels on the bottom of the kennel. I observed two metal bowls and a black plastic ring with white paw prints and the name “Boomer” in white lettering on it. One of the metal bowls fit inside the black plastic ring. The bowls had dark spots covering them, I knew from my training and experience that this was indicative of insect droppings consistent with advanced stages of decomposition occurring in the area. In the bottom of the black plastic trays, I observed animal fecal matter and shreds of a Styrofoam like material. I also observed dead insect pupae, further indicating advanced stages of decomposition had occurred within the crate,” according to Officer Henseler’s report quoted in the complaint.
Police recovered the remains from a garbage dumpster.
Rahmlow had told others she had found a new home for the dog when she moved in with someone else. She had left the apartment in June 2024. The dog’s remains were discovered in mid-February.
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