Santa Barbara – Duanying Chen, 19, a Santa Barbara resident, apparently doesn’t know that while some may consider allegations of domestic abuse wherein evidence of self defense may have legal validity, accusations and evidence of physically abusing puppies is going to earn the accused the full wrath of the law.
Chen’s girlfriend had taken her 5-month-old miniature pinscher puppy to the local veterinarian on May 14th, suffering from injuries that occurred while the dog was in the care of Chen. According to Santa Barbara Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Riley Harwood, “The clinic staff saw that the animal had multiple injuries consistent with having been abused.” The veterinarian asked the dog’s owner about the injuries and ultimately came to believe that she herself had been the victim of physical violence, at which time they notified the police.
Dude McCullough, who is very glad he does not know Chen
Pursuant to investigation by Animal Control Officers and SBPD Crimes Against Persons Detective Charlie Katsapis, the young woman admitted to having been “manually strangled by Chen until she nearly lost consciousness,” and related that Chen had told her the dog had been injured after it fell from a table. The veterinarian’s examination of the dog, however, indicated “injuries consistent with abuse rather than a fall,” including “multiple broken bones, multiple lacerations and burns, neurological damage, and wounds to its rectum and genitals.”
With that evidence in hand, Katsapis obtained an arrest warrant for Chen which was executed at his residence on May 20th. Chen was arrested and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of felony domestic battery and animal cruelty, with his bail set at $75,000.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking, R.L. McCullough
Read more:
EdHat: Domestic violence and animal cruelty
Noozhawk: Man arrested on Domestic violence, animal cruelty
Examiner: Teen accused of strangling girlfriend and beating puppy
