Northern California man to serve 10 years in prison for beating, killing girlfriend’s dog

A Northern California man was sentenced Wednesday afternoon in Butte Superior Court to 10 years, four months in state prison after he pleaded no contest to felony cruelty to an animal.

Brandon Samdara Chin, 23, of Chico had previous convictions that include misdemeanor domestic violence, kidnapping and domestic violence to a minor, and for having sexual relations with another underage girl, Bute County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a news release.

Officers arrested Chin for the animal cruelty charge Feb. 23.

Chin’s girlfriend reportedly saw him on her home’s doorbell camera carrying the limp body of 1-year-old Ginger, a male chihuahua-terrier mix, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Chin reportedly brought Ginger to the back patio of their residence where he rinsed the dog with water; blood was found in the water, prosecutors said.

A witness, called by Chin’s girlfriend, reported seeing Chin inside his vehicle and Ginger with severe head injuries. Chin admitted to kicking Ginger in the face, according to the district attorney.

A veterinarian decided to euthanize Ginger due to the extent of his injuries. A necropsy determined the cause of death to be blunt-force trauma, prosecutors said. A large amount of blood was found in Ginger’s trachea, esophagus and stomach, indicating Ginger had been alive for some time after the injury, according to the news release.

This story was originally published June 24, 2021 at 10:22 AM with the headline "Northern California man to serve 10 years in prison for beating, killing girlfriend’s dog."