The animals and the animal rights
community have lost a tireless crusader. Regina Atwater, the president
of Rochester's "Animal Advocates of Upstate New York" died yesterday,
after a fatal car accident a few days ago. She suffered massive head
injuries when a car driven by an unlicensed girl slammed into Regina's
car while she sat outside the school where she taught. The driver of the
unlicensed car had a permit but was driving illegally. Suspicions that
this was an intentional act are unconfirmed. The area of the occurrence
is known as a rough neighborhood where activities such as cockfighting
have occurred and Regina was known to protest such activities. Regina
was thought to have never regained consciousness after the incident, and
her family decided to take her off life support yesterday (Saturday).
Besides being the president of Animal Advocates of
Upstate New York, Regina was a very active and adventurous person -- and
among other activities, she loved to go kayaking. She was also a teacher
and a nun. Regina educated a lot of people about animal rights through
talking to students in schools. She frequently used animal rights
information supplied to her by EnglandGal for lectures and the 24 hour
voice mail help line that Regina's group hosts, which in turn supplied
information when people would call in with questions regarding care of
animals, animal issues, and, of course, animal rights issues.
It will be impossible to "replace" such a person -- but
hopefully her death will motivate the Rochester group to move on with
their helping of the animals, stronger than ever, as Regina would have
wanted. Animal Advocates of Upstate New York will be holding an
emergency meeting soon, to decide what to do about their group's
leadership and future. Regina was an extremely dedicated and tireless
fighter for the animals. Funeral arrangements are still pending.
Condolences can be sent to:
Animal Advocates of Upstate New York, Inc.
P O Box 18415,
Rochester, New York 14618
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled
as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Go on to Self
Examination
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