After twenty years in porn valley, you start to notice a thing or two — like that fact that some people always have drama surrounding them. In the case of this individual, it was usually petty personal BS and shit-stirring…but the news that broke last week is on a whole other level.
Many in the adult business will know Christianna Hartland a.k.a. Christianna Billman a.k.a. Christianna Billman-Coppola as a longtime make-up artist. For several years Christianna has sidelined in animal rescue.
Although she’s had her share of critics, some seem attributable to personality clashes (and let’s face it, she’s had LOTS of those over the years) and in-fighting within the rescue community. The consensus among folks I talked to was that Christianna went into this with the best of intentions, but ultimately got in over her head.
From Susan Abram at the Los Angeles Daily News —
About 100 dogs have been taken from a San Fernando Valley rescue organization amid allegations of neglect, officials from the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services said Friday.
Animal control officers responded to a property in the Pacoima area and found what they said in a statement were dogs living in deplorable conditions.
In addition, animal control officers from the East Valley Shelter and the LAPD’s Animal Cruelty Task Force responded to a second location in Van Nuys where more dogs from the same investigation were found and taken.
The dogs were taken to the East Valley shelter, according to the statement.
Animal Control officials said an investigation is ongoing and would not provide further details except that some dogs were sick and required medical attention.
Christianna Billman, who has run Los Angelitos de Dios animal rescue for eight years, said she understands how the city could see that there were too many dogs on her properties, but that the timing was unfortunate. She said several small dogs were going to other rescuers who had agreed to take them, but then who backed out at the last minute, creating a back up.
“I don’t know why this is happening,” she said. “I don’t want to say anything that would jeopardize their safety.”
She has not been charged, she said.
Officials from animal services said the dogs are part of an investigation and cannot be adopted.
The dogs are creating space issues animal services officials said, and they are hoping members of the public will consider adopting those that are ready for homes this weekend.
Animal neglect
These photos posted online purport to show the state on conditions at Los Angelitos de Dios:
Reportedly there were over 100 dogs in her care. Even if we assume that, hypothetically, she might have gotten backed up due to holding dogs for other rescues, that number is still very high. TRPWL is informed hat there are rescue and kennel facilities with full time 24-hour staffs that normally have no more than 50-60 dogs at any time.
One source in the rescue field tells TRPWL bluntly that, since her dogs were taken to the East Valley shelter, “She has fucked every one of those dogs and the ones that had to be put to sleep to make room for them.”
A now-deleted July 4 YouTube video of the situation carried the following text:
Suspect Christianna Hartland AKA Christianna Billman-Coppola in hoarding case caught fleeing with numerous dogs in an unventilated trailer. The trailer was found parked in the back property of Valley Animal Hospital in Van Nuys where Hartlands boyfriend, George Katcher is also a suspect, is the General Manager.
The dogs and cats were found after six hours inside where outside temperatures were near 90 degrees. Robert Corn was the driver/facilitator of this last minute attempt to hide the dogs and cats from East Valley Animal Control & LA Animal Services. Two days prior Animal Service removed 24 dogs that were unaltered, emaciated, mange covered, or other medical issues.
Were they actually trying to “hide the dogs”? Or were they told to move them to the trailer, only to be stuck in there for hours while investigators did their thing? At this point it’s unclear.
However, knowledgeable sources claim the “hoarding” element might be the key to this situation.
Hoarding behaviors are not uncommon among pet owners and rescuers.
On July 4, Los Angelitos de Dios posted on its Facebook page:
As most people know, we have been trying to get our own kennel within the city of LA for a short time now. We were keeping the dogs in boarding and at our founder’s 3/4 acre ranch. We were not fast enough in finding a licensed kennel space and Animal Control has illegally seized all of our animals, those in lawful boarding, those at our founder’s place and including her own personal animals, charging neglect where there is none to be found. We will need your voice to get these charges dropped and to help us find a location where we do not need to live in fear that our animals will be wrongfully seized. Once more, we must beseech our adopters and followers for your unwavering support in these times of great crisis and bottomless grief. If anyone has aid in the way of commercially zoned property, legal aid, financial contributions, media contacts or any other means that may help absolve us of these charges and bring our animals to their waiting homes, please let us know.
With great love,
Los Angelitos de Dios
Los Angelitos de Dios claims the dogs were “illegally seized” without evidence of neglect. Over 100 dogs packed in a home filled with feces and urine, and needing medical care — if true — would constitute pretty strong evidence of neglect.
Christianna responded to the shocking photos on Facebook, July 6:
These people stole my phone so I couldn’t ask for help, they sent my worker away, they distracted me so I couldn’t do my normal cleaning routine and then took pictures. They are still after me and I’m really not sure why. I don’t know what I did, certainly not what I’m accused of, but I think it all stems back to a few powerful people. I am beginning to believe there are demons among us.
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