ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Christine Edgar will serve 31 days in jail — one day for every dead animal found in her abandoned house.

Edgar of 3641 Ohio 152, Dillonvale, was sentenced Friday by Belmont County Northern Division Judge Chris Berhalter. She had pleaded no contest to abandoning animals and prohibitions concerning companion animals. Julie Larish, humane officer with the humane agency Belmont County Hoof & Paw, testified about the scene found when Larish investigated the house, which would have been abandoned in 2016. Dead rabbits and cats were found by a cleaning crew assigned to the house at 70629 Main St., Barton when it was reclaimed by the bank. Larish’s defense attorney, Richard Myser, asked the court to consider Edgar’s mental and emotional situation at the time. Larish said she believed Edgar had been depressed at the time and recommended community service working with Hoof & Paw’s cases.

Berhalter sentenced Edgar to 90 days in jail, all but 41 suspended and 10 of those days spent in community service with Hoof & Paw. He cited the suffering the animals would have undergone.