AR-News: OR Activist Killed, Dog Injured On Bridge

[DTanzer16 at aol.com]

Support pours in for dog, woman struck on bridge 


Lynda Pilger, 39, spent her life fighting for animals, and after her death, 
the community helps her dog Bear fight for his life 

Saturday, May 29, 2004
APRIL SIMPSON  503-294-7656; aprilsimpson at news.oregonian.com 

The woman killed by a skidding vehicle Thursday on the Morrison Bridge would 
have been pleased so many people wanted to help her small dog critically 
injured in the same accident. 

Lynda Pilger, 39, who had taken her dog Bear to work with her that day at 
Portland's Animal Legal Defense Fund, had devoted her life to protecting animals. 

She campaigned to ban leg-hold traps, testified before the Legislature on 
animal rights and was involved in local humane societies and animal rights 
organizations. 

Her pets included a black cat named Ziggy and a black Labrador named Belly 
Belly in addition to Bear, a male border collie. 

"Her dogs were her children," said Jeff Little, Pilger's boyfriend of 10 
years. 

Pilger was an administrative assistant in the anticruelty division of the 
fund, which provides legal assistance to prosecutors handling cruelty cases, 
maintains a database of animal abuse crimes across the country and works to 
strengthen state anticruelty statutes. 

"She was a critical part of our team," said Pamela Frasch, director of the 
fund's anticruelty division. 

Pilger and Bear were walking on the sidewalk on the south side of the bridge 
after 5 p.m. Thursday when an eastbound Nissan Pathfinder skidded on a steel 
grate and hit them. 

Pilger was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Bear was covered with blankets until taken to Dove Lewis Emergency Hospital. 
He has a shattered left femur and a severe spinal injury. It's unsure whether 
he will regain use of his back legs. 

Cmdr. Mike Garvey of the Portland Police Bureau said the driver, Eric 
Heinrich, 34, of Northeast Portland, was suspected of being under the influence of 
alcohol at the time. He said blood tests are pending. 

Heinrich was arrested on accusations of criminally negligent homicide and 
reckless driving Thursday, but Garvey said those preliminary charges were 
dismissed Friday. The Multnomah County district attorney hasn't decided whether to 
file formal charges because the investigation iss continuing, said Chief Deputy 
District Attorney Norm Frink. 

Family and friends grieved Friday for a woman they described as compassionate 
and angelic. 

"Lynda is the kind of daughter you dream about when having children," said 
Wendell Pilger, Lynda's father. "She was a very sweet, loving, committed 
Christian girl. When a bird fell out of the tree, she would bring it in the house." 

Her family and friends also are planning to provide the medical attention 
Bear needs to stay alive. 

Dove Lewis said it was flooded with calls inquiring about the injured dog 
Friday. The hospital has set up a fund to help pay for Bear's medical care and is 
accepting donations at both Dove Lewis locations in Portland and at any Wells 
Fargo Bank branch. 

Friday morning, Bear was transferred to Northwest Veterinary Specialists in 
Clackamas to be evaluated by a neurologist. 

The hospital also is working with the Animal Legal Defense Fund to pay Bear's 
hospital bill, estimated at upward of $10,000. 

"Whatever it is, we're covering it," Frasch said. "We want to make sure that 
Bear receives everything he needs for a full medical recovery, and we know 
that Lynda would want that." 

Little said: "Lynda was part of their family, and Bear is part of our family. 
They're basically taking care of one of our family members. This means the 
world to me right now." 

After Bear's surgery, he will be returned to Little. 

Pilger graduated from David Douglas High School in 1982 and attended Portland 
State University, where she was studying psychology. 

Kelly Peterson met Pilger at a 1999 farm sanctuary fund-raiser in Northern 
California. The event raised money for a nonprofit that rescued injured animals 
abused on factory farms. 

Peterson said this marked the beginning of Pilger's career in animal work. 

In 2000, Pilger led a campaign for a ballot measure to prohibit the use of 
leg-hold traps. 

Pilger had testified before the Oregon Legislature and the Oregon Fish and 
Wildlife Commission on behalf of animals. She wrote letters to the Legislature 
and to foreign governments. 

Pilger is survived by her parents, Thais and Wendell; sister, Cindy Matti; 
and brother, Jeff Pilger. 

Letters to the editor: Email them to : letters at news.oregonian.com  
or mail to: Letters to the editor, The Oregonian, 1320 S.W. Broadway, 
Portland, OR 97201 They may also be faxed to (503)294-4193. 
Please limit letters to 150 words. Include your full address & daytime phone 
number. 
ARTICLE TITLE: Support pours in for dog, woman struck on bridge

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Article Source:
www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/10858318469300.xml
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