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PRINCETON: Man charged in beating death of dog

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
   A Megan’s Law offender living in Princeton has been charged with animal cruelty in the beating death of a dog in August.
   Michael Rosenberg, 30, advertised himself as a dog trainer who operated out of his residence, said animal control officer Mark Johnson on Monday.
   In this case, a female shepherd mix named Shyanne allegedly suffered internal injuries and died without her owner ever seeing the dog alive again.
   Mr. Johnson said he charged Mr. Rosenberg on Nov. 13 with six counts of animal cruelty, including one third-degree offense and one fourth-degree offense. The case has been transferred to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, records at Princeton Municipal Court showed Wednesday. A court date could be as soon as next week.
   In his 18-year-career in Princeton, Mr. Johnson said this is the first animal cruelty case in which the animal was killed. He said there is a second animal cruelty case against Mr. Rosenberg, also involving a dog.
   Lawrenceville resident Tracy Stanton, based on the referral of a friend, said Monday that she had took 3-year-old Shyanne to Mr. Rosenberg on Aug. 26. She said she had met him at Community Park, where he had two dogs of his own.
   She said he claimed to have worked with SAVE, the local animal shelter, and that she gave him $100 for food and taking care of her dog.
   Ms. Stanton said that two days later, she had received a call from Mr. Rosenberg asking whether the dog had heartworms because Shyanne had collapsed.
   Ms. Stanton, a lawyer who works in New York, immediately called to make an appointment with a local veterinarian. She said she called Mr. Rosenberg back, at which time he suggested that the dog see a vet.
   Worried about her dog, Ms. Stanton contacted her boyfriend, who went to Mr. Rosenberg’s residence to pick the dog up. Ms. Stanton said the boyfriend found the dog still breathing but “pretty much lifeless.”
   Shyanne died en route to NorthStar VETS, a 24-hour emergency vet hospital in Robbinsville, Ms. Stanton said. She said it was later discovered the dog had suffered four broken ribs.
   Ms. Stanton described herself as “horrified” and in disbelief that someone could allegedly do this to her dog. She said that afterward Mr. Rosenberg called her, offering to be there for her, but that she hung up the phone and has had no communication with him since.
   ”What happened to Shyanne is horrifying and sick and has completely shaken me to my core,” Ms. Stanton said. “People who have companion animals develop a tremendous, deep-rooted bond with the animal that is beyond compare and the penalties associated with cruelty should accurately reflect a person’s emotional loss.”
   An article in the Princeton Packet two years ago stated that Mr. Rosenberg was arrested in September 2010 on child endangerment and sexual assault charges for having a sexual relationship with a girl who was 14 and he was 27, when their 20-month relationship began. The story said the encounters occurred in Princeton Borough.
   Casey A. DeBlasio, a spokeswoman for the Prosecutor’s Office, said in an email Tuesday that Mr. Rosenberg pleaded guilty in July 2011 to third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and subsequently received a four-year suspended sentence.
   He is listed on the State Police website as a tier 2 Megan’s Law offender, a designation that means he poses a moderate risk.