Dad Who Died After Helping Ducks Cross Busy Road Honored by PETA

For Immediate Release:
June 7, 2023

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

In honor of Casey Rivara, who was fatally struck by a car after helping a mother duck and her babies cross a local street, PETA is dedicating a leaf to the heroic father of two on its Tree of Life memorial at the Sam Simon Center, its Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters. The inscription reads as follows:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

CASEY RIVARA

FRIEND TO ANIMALS

Driving his children home from swim practice on May 18, the 41-year-old dad spotted a duck family struggling to cross a busy intersection, so he pulled over to escort them to the curb. But after finishing his good deed—to bystander applause—a teenage driver struck Rivara, and he passed away at the scene. As his aunt wrote on a GoFundMe page for his grieving family, “Casey was the kindest, most amazing husband and father. Even his last act in this world was a sign of his compassion.”

“Casey’s compassionate decision to ensure that this family of ducks crossed the road safely sets a tremendous example for all of us,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA encourages everyone to honor this heroic father by watching for wildlife on roadways and helping animals whenever they need a hand.”

PETA offers helpful tips and resources on how to help animals in need. If an animal is injured or in imminent danger, the group recommends calling local authorities right away so that experienced professionals can safely assist them.

PETA—whose memorial is dedicated to individuals whose lives and actions made a difference for animals—will send a duplicate leaf to Rivara’s family, along with a photograph of the Tree of Life.

PETA’s motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way,” and the group opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.