Trees vs. Animals

The East Valley Animal Shelter in Van Nuys say the cutting of more than a dozen trees at the facility to make way for adoption banners has hurt, not helped the shelter.

Animal activist Steven Jay Bernheim paid to have the trees cut and is helping fund the massive banners. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the banners are seen in order to get more people in the door to adopt.

Brenda Barnette, the general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services, said she knew about the plan for the banners, but said the trees were to be only trimmed.

"It was a volunteer effort that meant that's what they wanted to do, was help us," she said. "We're all disappointed. Nobody would have cut the trees down on purpose."

The pepper trees, which circled the building and lined the front entrance, provided lots of shade and were a key part of the energy-efficient, $23 million building that opened three years ago.

"This was actually vandalism. This was not an effort to help," said Phyllis Daugherty, founder of Animal Issues Movement. "This is an attorney who should have been in control and should be totally liable

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Source: ABC7

Photo Credit: Curbed LA