Lifestyles
Thousands petition Dallas Zoo to name baby giraffe 'Nina' after missing Plano woman Christina Morris
By media release
Apr 26, 2015

Morris' friend started a Care2 petition urging the zoo to name its new baby giraffe after the missing 23-year-old

DALLAS, TEXAS  -- Christina Morris, 23, went missing in Plano, Texas on August 30, 2014. Now, her former coworker Erika King started a Care2 petition in her friend’s honor, asking Dallas Zoo to put Morris’ nickname, “Nina,” in the running among the names being considered for the zoo’s new baby giraffe. King says the giraffe is Morris’ favorite animal.

After just 24 hours on the site, the Care2 petition has gathered more than 6,900 signatures.

VIEW THE CARE2 PETITION HERE: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/389/954/016/

“The giraffe has always been Christina’s love when it comes to animals,” says Jonni McElroy, Morris’ mother. “This would mean the world to her and to us as a family. My heart is simply overwhelmed with love and joy that so many people are signing the petition.”

Enrique Gutierrez Arochi, 24, is being held on $1 million bond after being charged with kidnapping following Morris’ disappearance. She was last seen on a surveillance video walking into a parking garage with Arochi, a friend from high school. Detectives have found traces of Morris’ blood in the trunk of Arochi’s car.

King lives in Fort Worth and says she got to know Morris while they both worked at the Fort Worth Dating Company, formerly known as Great Expectations.

“Christina and I became fast friends. She's a wonderful girl and her family has been trying so hard to find her,” King says. “Every way they turn there is a roadblock. They need something good to happen, and I think this would bring them some peace and hope."

The calf was born Friday afternoon, and zookeepers will choose three potential names. A public vote will determine the winner. The calf has gained millions of fans after the zoo allowed cable TV network Animal Planet to install a camera, which is streaming live video of the calf.

King says Nina means "I have" in Swahili, which adheres to the zoo's policy of naming baby animals by their country of origin.

Many supporters of the Care2 petition have added comments next to their signatures.

“This would be an awesome tribute to a beautiful lady!” writes Roberta Smith of Texas.

“Naming the baby giraffe after Christina would be such a loving tribute to her family and the Dallas community, and a wonderful way to always keep her name alive,” writes Vivian Jackson of Arizona.

For more information, or for interviews with the petition creator or members of Christina Morris’ family, please contact Yasmina Dardari at (407) 922-8149 or by email at yasmina@fitzgibbonmedia.com.

Care2 (www.Care2.com) is a community of 28 million standing together for good. People are making world-changing impact with Care2, starting petitions and supporting each other’s campaigns to help individuals, animals and the environment. A pioneer of online advocacy since 1998, Care2 is a B Corporation, or social enterprise, using the power of business as a force for good.