Animal rights activists fighting to get Lucy the elephant moved from the Edmonton Valley Zoo have hit a major roadblock after the city refuses to support the campaign.
Zoocheck Canada was set to launch a billboard campaign in order to get Lucy moved to an elephant sanctuary.
The ads were to show messages like, "Your tax dollars pay for her suffering", "Isolation and a bitter cold winter on the way," and "Hasn't she endured enough?"
The ads were supposed to appear on Edmonton billboards and bus shelters this week, but the City of Edmonton has stepped in saying they won't allow these ads to appear on city property.
Zoocheck Canada was informed Monday by Pattison Outdoor Advertising that the ads had been rejected by the city.
Voice for Animals says the ad is perfectly legitimate and there is nothing offensive about it.
The animal rights group says Lucy needs more space and should be around other elephants for companionship. She has been the only elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo since 2007.
Members of the Friends of Lucy group walked along Whyte Avenue Saturday to hand out a petition in which they ask city council and the zoo to send Lucy to an elephant sanctuary.
With files from Sonia Sunger
