Lawyer Steven Jay Bernheim loves animals so much that he hired gardeners to cut down 14 mature trees in front of the city's Van Nuys animal shelter in order to make sure that the adoption banners he's helping to fund are fully visible. The staff at the East Valley Animal Shelter was a little surprised and kind of pissed off to find their pepper and eucalyptus trees, which provided shade around the entrance to the building, "reduced to stumps," in the words of ABC7. LA's Department of Animal Services general manager tells the station that she had been told that the trees would only be trimmed back.
The "massive banners" promoting pet adoption will be hung from the top of the building, and Bernheim says "If we have to sacrifice a few trees - and I know we're going to plant a million in the city - in order to save thousands and thousands of dogs and cats, it's a good trade off." Million Trees LA is coming by the shelter today to see about replacing the trees.
· Animal shelter angry over cutting of trees [ABC7]
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