Memorials for Road Kill



Road kill with highway marker

A truck full of cattle accidentally tipped over last May and now the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) want a memorial for the cows that died.

An animal-rights group now wants the Illinois Department of Transportation to erect an official roadside memorial sign.

It would serve as a tribute to the victims, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which also seeks installation of a second memorial to six cows killed in traffic after they were thrown from a truck that overturned on Oct. 14 near Cambridge, Ill.

"Cows are intelligent, sensitive animals that feel pain the same way we do," said Tracy Patton, a campaigner for PETA.

The markers would be the first official highway memorials in the U.S. dedicated to animals killed in traffic accidents.

According to Illinois state law, highway memorial markers must be requested only by a "qualified relative of a deceased victim," however, Patton has asked the requirement be waived. IDOT spokesman Guy Tridgell indicated that memorials are only for people. Meanwhile, PETA is waiting for an official response.