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Escanaba woman sentenced for animal cruelty

By Sophie Vogelmann 8 min read

ESCANABA -- A woman has been sentenced after an investigation uncovered 20 animals living in her Escanaba home, which was subsequently condemned.

Jessica Lynn Wellman, 45, was sentenced in the Delta County 94th District Court on Tuesday by Judge Steve Parks. Wellman pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of animals -- abandoning/cruelty to one animal and was sentenced to 45 days in jail with credit for one day served; two years' probation; and ordered to pay $1,760 in fines, fees and costs.

Wellman was further ordered to participate in various programs, including eight hours of cognitive thinking, ten hours of life skills and six hours of responsibility and character.

In exchange for Wellman's guilty plea, Delta County Prosecuting Attorney Lauren Wickman dismissed Wellman's original charge of one felony count of animals -- abandoning/cruelty to four to 10 animals. Wickman additionally agreed to remain silent as to Wellman’s recommended jail term.

Parks ordered Wellman to surrender all animals to the Delta Animal Shelter (DAS), and she cannot own, possess or care for any animals or possess any animal food that is not sealed and packaged for retail.

At issue in the case is Wellman's care for over a dozen animals in her home, including a nine-year-old pot-bellied pig that reportedly lived inside Wellman's bedroom closet and was not let out to use the bathroom.

When law enforcement searched Wellman's home, they discovered the pig had overgrown hooves. While the police report indicates food was provided for the pig, a medical examination determined the pig was dehydrated and subjected to prolonged neglect.

During the hearing Tuesday, Wellman's attorney, Cameron Nebel, said, "I don’t believe that Ms. Wellman’s conduct was malicious in any way. She wasn’t striking animals. She wasn’t doing anything purposeful to harm the animals… It was more she lacked the skill set to provide the care for the hooves and lacked the financial resources to establish the proper care for this animal."

Before handing down Wellman's sentence, Parks discussed the troubling reports that came out of the investigation.

"Frankly, I saw some of the reports, and my heart aches for those children being in this environment," Parks said. "(You had) a pig, birds, cats, dogs, it's awful. And it made me sick to think that the children -- it's hard enough to be a kid in school, and to try to fit in, be liked. If you go to school, you don’t smell good and you're an outcast, that could affect the child for a very, very long time."

The Escanaba Department of Public Safety's (EDPS) investigation took place earlier this year. On April 14, EDPS Officer Madison Draze approached EDPS Det./Lt. Tabitha Turnacliff after receiving a report from a school in the Escanaba Area Public Schools district regarding one of Wellman's children.

The report disclosed that the child's house was dirty and had a large quantity of animals living inside.

According to the police report on the matter, three minor children lived in the home with Wellman, along with Wellman's oldest son and her partner, David Taft -- owner of "Da Bin Store" in Escanaba. The children's ages were listed as 18, 15, 13 and 10.

Taft, who is not the father of Wellman's children, reportedly did not reside at Wellman's residence but instead resided at his business, though he told police he would shower at Wellman's residence.

While Wellman told police she was married and her last name was Taft, her last name was still reported as Wellman by the Secretary of State in Michigan during the time of the investigation this spring.

In Draze’s report, she stated Wellman's rental home at the time was unfit to live in, as approximately 12 cats, 5 dogs, one pot-bellied pig and two parakeets lived inside and were left to roam the house without being taken outside to use the bathroom.

The report further indicated none of the dogs or cats were spayed or neutered, and one of the cats -- who was six months old at the time -- was identified as being pregnant after being transported to the Delta Animal Shelter for an evaluation.

Draze further wrote the animals defecate and urinate wherever in the house, and piles of feces and trash were located all throughout the home.

Law enforcement verified food was available for the animals, and the pig was the only animal deemed to require medical care.

As to the children residing inside the home, the police report stated they had poor hygiene due to their home environment. One child told EDPS they did have any toothbrushes or toothpaste, and another said they brushed once every three weeks.

"On Feb. 11, 2026, all the children had such a strong odor, an adult who has contact with them regularly now wears a nasal ring diffuser," Draze wrote. "The home environment causes (redacted) to cry."

The police report states teachers in the Escanaba Area Public Schools district would report the children wearing the same clothes repeatedly, which dates back several years.

During the course of law enforcement's investigation, Child Protective Services (CPS), Code Enforcement for the City of Escanaba and EDPS made contact with the family. Wellman reportedly told the group they were not allowed inside.

A search warrant was later served on Wellman's residence, at which time the DAS arrived and entered the residence after it was secured by law enforcement. DAS staff told police Wellman had called the shelter April 14 wanting to surrender nine cats.

As officers searched the house, they discovered the basement to be cluttered with garbage, wood, boxes and other household items, presenting an extreme fire hazard. The upstairs of the residence was described similarly.

While officers observed food in the cupboards, dirty dishes and other cooking items were reportedly stacked all the way up to the cupboards, themselves.

Officers reported the walls as being stained and dirty, and the carpeting at the edge of the kitchen into the living room -- which was supposed to be brown -- was dark brown to black in color due to stains and feces. Draze stated every room in the residence had dog feces on the floor and stained flooring.

When officers located the pig in Wellman's room, they observed it's nail/hoof was curling upwards and was several inches long. Wellman would later tell officers the last time the pig had its hooves clipped was about six years ago

Contact was also made with one of the minor children during the search. Because the child's bed could barely be seen due to various objects covering it, EDPS Det. Todd Chouinard asked the child where he sleeps.

"(Redacted) said he sometimes sleeps upstairs on the floor. I inquired further asked where on the floor would he sleep, isn’t the floor covered with feces and urine from the cats. He stated he tries to find an area the cats have not gone," Chouinard wrote in his report.

Chouinard also said there were times during the search when he would speak to Wellman informally. When the detective told Wellman the situation was bad, she reportedly admitted that it was bad and "it just got away from her and no one helps."

When Chouinard informed Wellman he felt the house was not livable, she said she disagreed.

EDPS also served a search warrant to remove all animals from the residence. Wellman was informed the city's Code Enforcement would be putting a notice on the door condemning the house, deeming it unlivable.

Wellman told law enforcement the house had gotten to the state it was in within the last year, and puppies that were born in the house heavily contributed to the feces. She also said she sent CPS photos of the residence about six months prior, and her house was "fine and approved."

According to the police report, law enforcement recommended Wellman be charged with fourth-degree child abuse and animal cruelty to four or more animals but fewer than 10.

On May 30, Wellman was arrested during a traffic stop for having an active felony warranty for her arrest. She was subsequently charged with one felony count of animals -- abandoning/cruelty to four to 10 animals, which would later be dismissed in exchange for her plea.

While Wellman does not have a criminal history, she reportedly had out of range warrants in Wisconsin at the time of EDPS' report.

The whereabouts of Wellman's children are unknown, though statements made in court indicate DHHS is actively involved with the family to ensure the safety of the children.

All of the seized pets from Wellman's home, including the pig, have been adopted except for one cat named Snowball, who is available for adoption now at the DAS.

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021, ext. 148, or svogelmann@dailypress.net.

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