Chesapeake Beach Pair Face 126 Charges In Animal Neglect Case

CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — Two Chesapeake Beach residents have been charged by criminal summons after animal control officers said several animals at a home were living in poor conditions and lacked proper care, licensing or rabies vaccination records, according to charging documents.

Kathleen Estelle Blackwell, 48, and Jacob Alan Swierczewski, 29, both of Chesapeake Beach, were each charged with 48 counts of animal cruelty/failure to provide, eight counts of failing to license a dog or cat, and seven counts of failing to vaccinate an animal against rabies.

An animal control officer responded on April 27, 2026, for a possible animal neglect complaint involving a dog and several cats inside a home in Chesapeake Beach. According to charging documents, photos and a statement alleged the animals were forced to live in poor conditions inside the residence.

The officer wrote that there was a strong odor of urine and feces coming from the windows of the home. A compliance notice was posted requiring Blackwell and Swierczewski to provide veterinary care for all animals in the home, remove feces from the residence, reduce the ammonia smell, and provide vaccination and licensing records for any animals at the property, according to the report.

Animal control officers returned on April 29, 2026, with a search warrant. Charging documents state Blackwell advised officers there were seven cats and one dog in the home.

The animals identified in the charging documents include Tyson, Magic, Lilo, Lil Miss, Emma, Smoke, Ash and Bentley. The report describes Tyson as a pit bull-type dog and describes several of the cats as domestic shorthair cats.

According to charging documents, officers alleged multiple animals lacked proper food, water, shelter, veterinary care, licensing and rabies vaccinations. Several animals also were documented as having dental disease, including cats named Lilo, Smoke and Emma.

Animal control also alleged Blackwell and Swierczewski failed to provide vaccination and licensing records for several animals despite being instructed to do so.

Criminal summonses were issued May 6, 2026. Neither Blackwell nor Swierczewski was arrested.

A preliminary inquiry is set for June 22, 2026, at Calvert District Court.

Under Maryland law, the animal cruelty charges carry up to 90 days of incarceration per count. If convicted of the charges as filed and sentenced to the maximum consecutive terms, each defendant could face up to 11 years and 305 days of incarceration, along with fines.

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