Hawthorne Press Tribune
The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 63, No. 44 - November 4, 2021
Centinela Valley Union High School District
Celebrates the Halloween Season
Protect Our Planet and Puppies
By Kiersten Vannest
What happened to the pandemic puppies?
As pet adoptions and fosters rose while shelters
Fall Back
set YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR AT 2:00 AM
Sunday, November 7
emptied, some wonder what happened
with the animals that were adopted during
the largely work-from-home era. According
to spcaLA president Madeline Bernstein, not
much has changed.
Despite some press reporting that pet returns
have been spiking, Bernstein reports that that
statistic is slightly skewed, as many of the
animals were in a foster program. Those that
were adopted are by and large staying with
their newfound families. See Madeline Bernstein, page 4
Madeline Bernstein, president of spcaLA.
Madeline heads the animal rescue organization
spcaLA, which is a separate entity from the
ASPCA and specifically serves Los Angelesbased
cases. As she explains, the mission of
the organization is the prevention of cruelty
to animals, which runs the gamut of species,
from cats and dogs to pigs and rabbits.
“We really get everything…between our law
enforcement work, our disaster work, and kinds
of other stuff,” she says. Personally, Bernstein
has rescued tortoises from the organization and
has dealt with cases involving horses, guinea
pigs, snakes and more.
One program in particular Bernstein talks
about is something started by her organization
in the 90s called Animal Safety Net.
This program works with domestic violence
shelters to help eliminate the barrier of pet
involvement. Sometimes victims are hesitant
to leave because of shared animals or fear of
repercussions.
Bernstein cites one case in which the abuser
threatened to throw the dog out the window
if the victim didn’t come back home. When
they didn’t return, he threw the dog out the
window. Animal Safety Net aims to prevent
these scenarios by providing shelter for animals
while victims get sorted out with the next steps,
and on occasion, rescue pets from the home if
the victim didn’t get to take them.
In her time with the program, Bernstein has
worked with cases of abuse from many situations
involving a pet. From intimate partner
abuse to elder abuse, she wants to expand the
program to include care of animals for those
in many precarious situations. With their pets
in foster programs and shelters, those seeking
help get the chance to focus on themselves with
the relief of knowing they can keep their pet.
In addition, Bernstein adds that animal abuse
is often a precursor or a sign of abuse on a
The District Office Staff showed off their school spirit with fun and spooky costumes. What a fun and creative day. Photo courtesy Centinela Valley Union High School District.