Duanying Chen, who brutally tortured 5-month-old puppy Davey in Santa Barbara, CA, in May 2015 was finally banished from the U.S. and deported to his homeland of China on March 8, 2016. While this can never undo the unthinkable pain inflicted on Davey, it is a powerful victory in the fight for tougher penalties for crimes against animals.
LCA and activists including Diana Basehart, Gretchen Lieff and Lynnie Shaw fought relentlessly to achieve justice in this horrific case. Nearly 900 protesters attended the rally in Santa Barbara and the Davey's Voice petition demanding stiff punishment for Chen garnered thousands of signatures. Our voices were heard.
Chen's ruthless display of violence was beyond reprehensible. In addition to strangling his girlfriend to the point of nearly losing consciousness, the 19-year-old student viciously attacked, beat, burned and raped her dog, Davey.
By the time Davey reached the veterinarian's office on May 14, 2015, nearly every bone was broken and burns covered 80 percent of his body. After weeks of medical treatment, Davey finally had to be euthanized.
Despite the horror of Chen's acts, his sentence by Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Brian Hill included just 1 year of jail time. After serving less than half of his sentence, Chen was released from jail and handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, who would decide whether Chen would be allowed to remain in the country. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that an immigration judge ordered Chen to be removed from the country on February 2, 2016.
Chen's deportation is a victory for the animals, and a clear message that animal cruelty will NOT be tolerated!
You made this happen! Thank you to everyone who spoke out on behalf of puppy Davey and helped influence this momentous decision. With your support, LCA will continue pushing for stronger laws to protect animals in the United States and around the world.