News Release, November 2, 2007
School Kicks Cruel Donkey Basketball Game to the Curb
Jackson, Mich.—In Defense of Animals (IDA) is hailing the decision by Lumen Christi High School and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to cancel a donkey basketball fundraiser scheduled for Sunday, November 4. The announcement comes after the school and society were deluged by calls, faxes, and emails from members of IDA and Southeast Michigan Animal Rights Team (SMART) concerned about animal cruelty and the safety of both animals and players.
Donkeys used in basketball games are shipped around the country in cramped conditions and are forced into as many as 300 games each year. In what is more of a free-for-all than a sporting event, students who have no experience with donkeys ride, drag, and jerk the animals around a basketball court. Because students are often more interested in showing off to their classmates than in the animals’ welfare, they yank their tails and ears, yell at them, and hit and kick the helpless donkeys in order to make them move.
On top of the harm done to animals, donkey basketball games also pose a risk to human participants. An Illinois man was awarded $110,000 after being injured in a donkey basketball tournament, and during another game, a Wisconsin state senator fell off of a donkey and broke her leg.
IDA and SMART are now urging the Lumen Christi school board to create a policy banning the use of animals in fundraisers as many cities, counties, and school districts across the country have done.
“Donkey basketball sends children the wrong message,” says Elliot M. Katz, DVM, IDA President. “These events only teach children that the abuse and humiliation of animals is funny. Nowadays, kids need a clear and consistent message from adults that it is immoral to physically abuse others, animal or human. We applaud the committed leaders who responded to our call for concern about the humane treatment of animals.”
‘Donkey Basketball’: Cruelty on the Court
http://www.peta.org/feat-donkeyball.asp
It’s
hard to believe that something as absurd as “donkey basketball” still exists in
this day and age, but sadly, it’s true. During these
cruel “games”—which some
schools hold as
fundraisers—donkeys are dragged, kicked, and punched by participants who have no
animal-handling experience. As if abusing animals and forcing them to
participate in these games weren’t bad enough, there’s more: In order to keep
them from having “accidents” on the court, donkeys are often deprived of food
and water for hours before games. Donkeys are not protected by the federal
Animal Welfare Act, and local humane agencies tend to be reluctant to get
involved in cruelty cases involving donkeys, since employees typically don’t
have any experience working with donkeys or any knowledge about them.
Donkey Basketball ‘Games’ Encourage Kids to Be Cruel
Donkey basketball fundraisers send kids the message that it’s OK to abuse and humiliate those who are weaker than they are. Children who are exposed to animal abuse are taught the dangerous lesson that cruelty is acceptable. Dr. Mel Levine of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wrote, “Certainly there is nothing more cruel that a child can do to another child than to embarrass him in front of peers. Equally devastating is the practice of exposing an animal to ridicule, laughter, and devaluation. Children should see adults treating animals with dignity and respect at all times.”
Schools from coast to coast have stopped hosting cruel donkey basketball fundraisers because they want to help nurture kind kids, not bullies. The U.S. National Parent-Teacher Association Congress states, “Children trained to extend justice, kindness, and mercy to animals become more just, kind, and considerate in their [interactions] with each other.”
Donkey Basketball: A Dangerous Liability for Humans Too
Like many animals, donkeys who are mistreated or forced into loud, confusing environments can become frightened and may lash out to protect themselves. A participant in a Waterloo, Illinois, donkey basketball game was awarded more than $110,000 for injuries that he sustained in a game, and in another game, a Wisconsin state senator fell off a donkey and broke her leg. In February 2006, a fifth-grade teacher in Florida sued the Diocese of St. Petersburg and the owner of the Dixie Donkey Ball company claiming that she had suffered injuries after being thrown off a donkey at a fundraiser.
Comment:
It shouldn’t have to take numerous complaints from the public to have these
events cancelled, but unfortunately there are enough people who find this
‘entertainment’ acceptable, even today. So the battle continues.