Dr. Anyes Van Volkenburgh, controversial owner of the Peninsula Pet Clinic in San Pedro, is suing the protestors who demonstrated in the vicinity of her business for $21.5 million, according to court documents.
The demonstrators protested near her office on Aug. 16 and Aug. 28. Their complaints included overcharging for services, being rude to customers, and mistreating and misdiagnosing animals. Van Volkenburgh filed her lawsuit on Sept. 10.
In general damages, Van Volkenburgh claims $1 million for pain, suffering and inconvenience, $1 million for emotional distress, $3 million for injury to reputation and $6 million for infringement of copyright, trademark and trade reputation. In addition, she claims special damages of $900,000 in loss of earnings, $2 million in loss of earning capacity, as well as $500,000 for security, $875,000 for pre-judgement interest and $200,000 for attorney’s fees. She is also seeking $6 million in punitive damages.
Van Volkenburgh is suing 13 of the protestors, plus the Facebook group and page dedicated to shutting down her business. She is also seeking a temporary protective order or temporary restraining order against the 13 named defendants, plus up to 200 unnamed people in the Facebook group.
According to the court documents available on the Peninsula Pet Clinic’s website, the lawsuit says that all of the protestors named in the lawsuit, plus the 200 unnamed people in the Facebook group, “have intentionally and recklessly entered and trespassed on Peninsula’s leased premises at the Clinic and the frontage, front sidewalk and parking lot, on multiple occasions within the last 60 days.”
In addition, it accuses them of blocking the entrance to the clinic, as well as its parking lot and nearby sidewalk, after having been given notice not to enter the clinic or surrounding area. It does not specify why the clinic would have the authority to prevent protestors from entering the surrounding area.
It also accuses the protestors of “disruption and harassment tactics, such as running in and out of the Clinic and surrounding area, swarming, surrounding, yelling and shouting at staff, new customers and existing customers, making defamatory statements, making slurs, using their cars and trucks to block the area, honking their car and truck horns to cause noise, all in an effort to disrupt Peninsula’s legitimate business activities through harassment and scare tactic,s [sic].”
The suit also claims that the clinic gave written notice to each of the defendants to not enter the premises, but does not specify if it means just the 13 named defendants or the 200 unnamed people in the group, nor does it specify how this was done.
The lawsuit says that the defendants made statements that “Peninsula had committed a crime, that Peninsula was a murderer, that Peninsula intentionally harmed animals, that Peninsula and staff were not professional veternarians [sic] and animal caregivers, that Peninsula were incompetent in their practice of veterinary medicine, that Peninsula was overcharging Clients, that Peninsula is unfair to its customers, and that Peninsula employed unfair business practices [sic].”
The lawsuit says these statements are false. It also says the defendants harmed the clinic’s reputation, as well as “general damages including shame, embarrassment, mortification, and hurt feelings.”
The lawsuit also accuses the named defendants and up to 200 members of the Facebook group of conspiracy to commit the already listed acts.
On Aug. 25, the Peninsula Pet Clinic posted on its Facebook page a screenshot from the private Facebook group, where a member of the group asked for other members to submit complaints against the clinic to the Veterinary Medical Board.
“And what else have they leaked???” the clinic said in the caption. “What other juicy material evidence do we have that can be used in court? Thank you for the anonymous tip, Stranger. Good work. Keep it coming.”
On that same day, the clinic’s Facebook page criticized the Los Angeles Police Department, Harbor Division. It said one of the officers was a member of “a criminal Facebook group,” and accused him of “aiding and abetting” the protestors.
“Is this why the police stood by and did nothing, allowing criminals to attack an upstanding business?” the clinic wrote. “Are they protecting one of their own and his criminal alliances?”
In a different post, also from Aug. 25, the clinic accused the officer further.
“Police officer who sides with criminals,” the clinic wrote. “Now that’s a fraud if I’ve ever seen one.”
No trial date is yet set.