WARREN A Warren woman previously jailed for animal abuse faces a new charge after a humane agent reported finding a neglected dog in her basement.

Thirty-one-year-old Tabitha Ballew is charged with one count of cruelty to animals, a first-degree misdemeanor. The charge was filed Tuesday in Warren Municipal Court.

Jason Cooke, CEO of the animal welfare organization Healthy Hearts and Paws, told 21 News he went to a home on the 1400 block of Hamilton Street last week. Inside the basement, Cooke said he discovered a German Shepherd mix confined in a wire crate.

Cooke reported the dog was infested with fleas and living among urine and feces.

Court records show this is not Ballew’s first conviction regarding the treatment of pets.

In 2019, a judge sentenced Ballew to six months in jail on animal cruelty charges. In that case, a neighbor entered Ballew's home to check on her pets and discovered three dogs locked in a cage. Two of the dogs had died, and police said the surviving animal was severely malnourished and had been feeding on the remains of the others.

During the 2019 sentencing, the judge ordered Ballew to undergo a mental health assessment and prohibited her from owning companion animals.

A court date for the new charge has not yet been listed.