ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A Belmont woman serving time in jail for repeated incidents of cruelty to animals pleaded guilty to another felony count Monday.

Shania Wells appeared before Belmont County Common Pleas Judge Frank Fregiato and entered a guilty plea to one count of fifth-degree felony cruelty to animals by neglect. Her sentencing was set for Nov. 13. She is eligible for a maximum sentence of one year in jail.

Wells, 24, of 59615 Chestnut Level Road, Belmont already is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence in jail that is slated to end in 2021 after she admitted to violating her parole by being in a residence with animals.

Wells had been sentenced in May 2019 to 90 days in jail as part of a suspended sentence handed down in Belmont County Western Division Court for multiple counts of cruelty to animals. This occurred after she pleaded no contest to 10 counts of cruelty to animals. The charges stem from an investigation on Wells’ property in December 2018, when deputies from the Belmont County Sheriff’s Department found dead and mistreated animals on her property.

In January, the humane organization Belmont Hoof & Paw executed a search warrant on the Wells property and discovered two dead calves, one dead dog and two dogs suffering from serious neglect.

Shania Wells and her mother, Kellie Wells, were charged with animal cruelty at the felony court level as a result.

In August, Kellie Wells pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison.

According to the Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office, Shania Wells faced similar charges in 2017, but she was allowed to complete a diversion program and have the charges dismissed. Ohio Revised Code allows a prosecutor to establish a diversion program for a defendant they believe is not likely to offend again.