Man Admits to Beating Neighbor's Dog To Death

A Pasadena man accused of beating his neighbor's dog to death pleaded no contest to an animal cruelty charge Friday and was sentenced to a year in county jail, according to a Pasadena Superior Court bailiff.

The man, Young Song, beat the 6-month-old German shepherd to death with a hammer in April 2011 while it was tethered in a neighbor's back yard, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The dog's body was never found.

Song entered his plea Friday after a video of the beating was shown to jurors on Thursday, prosecutors said in a written statement.

Ricky Whitman, a spokeswoman for the Pasadena Humane Society, called the attack "horrific" in an interview Friday. The Humane Society was involved in the initial investigation into the crime and one of its lieutenants testified against Song on Thursday, Whitman said.

Song was sentenced to a year in county jail and three years probation and ordered to pay $75 in restitution to the owner of the dog. He is also barred from owning a pet for the next 10 years.

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