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PETA Tells Nevada School to Dump Donkey Basketball
Filed under: In The News, Weird But True
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is not happy about a Nevada school fundraiser in which a game of basketball includes players riding on donkeys.
PETA has issued an "action alert" on its Web site, asking concerned humans to contact Lyon County School District Superintendent Caroline McIntosh and Yerington High School Principal Jerry Ogolin to tell them to cancel the Donkey Basketball fundraiser scheduled for March 1 at the Nevada school.
The Associated Press reports that superintendent McIntosh has no plans to cancel Donkey Basketball, which is described as "a tradition" at Yerington High School, but that she will make an effort to "to ensure [the donkeys] are treated humanely."
Here's a video from YouTube of a donkey basketball event from 2007.
So is this just a bit of harmless fun? Not according to PETA. The group says donkey basketball encourages kids to be cruel, and that the game also is dangerous for the human players. A story on the PETA's Web site says "donkeys who are mistreated or forced into loud, confusing environments can become frightened and may lash out to protect themselves," and that bipedal donkey basketball participants have been injured more than once during these events.
Buckeye Donkey Ball, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one company that offers a number of donkey-related games, including Donkey Basketball, Donkey Baseball and Donkey Racing.
According to a contract posted on its Web site, Buckeye Donkey Ball takes at least half of the profits from the sponsoring school or organization. "After deducting only admission taxes, if any, BUCKEYE will receive 60 percent of all ticket sales or a $1,200.00 minimum payment, whichever is greater. When ticket sales exceed $3,000.00 BUCKEYE will receive 50 percent of all ticket sales," the site states.
This is why PETA says Donkey Basketball also fails as a fundraiser.
As for potential donkey dangers, Buckeye Donkey Ball requires all participants to sign a waiver, which does contain some language about how the donkeys should be treated. For example, "Players MUST NOT pull hair, ears or tails of donkeys or each other. Use caution when catching a donkey and please stay off his rear end at all times." As for the humans, "Please do not push or pull anyone from their donkey."
PETA offers suggestions for fundraisers it feels are less cruel, such as "rubber-duck derby races," which, according to group, raised $133,000 for three Oregon Rotary Clubs.
What do you think? Is donkey basketball cruel? Are there better ways for schools to raise money? Perhaps a Donkey Kong tournament?
Related: Michelle Obama Unwittingly Stars in PETA Anti-Fur Ad
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 7)
2-25-2010 @ 1:12PM
tammy said...If anyone commenting new anything at all about donkeys, they'ed have a right to post an opinion That includes most PETA supporters who actually know nothing about PETA's radical opinions on virtually any animal topic. Donkeys are hard headed, strong willed, tough little creatures, and the people onboard are absolutely doing them no harm. I've owned several donkeys, horses, mules, ect. These people are doing them no harm, no matter whether you think what they're doing is entertaining or not.
PETA is ridiculous because they go so far overboard on stupid pointless "issues" when they could put more effort where it needs to be as in puppy mills, slaughter houses, dog fighting ect. If they took on fewer "real" issues, they might actually get something done.
2-24-2010 @ 2:21PM
Derek said...For people to used animals for there own amusement and subject donkeys to abuse is appalling. The majority of people are that stupid to begin with
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2-24-2010 @ 2:42PM
jeff said...Dude, proofread your comments before you call anyone else stupid
2-24-2010 @ 5:13PM
mike hylton said...donkey basketball? thats just stupid!! hunting them is much more fun, i went on a wild donkey hunt in new mexico once, they were destroying the guys ranch, shooting those little buggers in the chest from a hundred yards is great, dont waste them on the bb court
2-24-2010 @ 2:23PM
p said...Much easier to use the Democrat donkeys than the GOP elephants.
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2-24-2010 @ 4:14PM
Mark said...Elephant basketball - now THERE's a sport I'd like to see...but I guess the stoppages to clean the court of "debris" would last an awfully long time...
2-24-2010 @ 2:28PM
Laura said...I was waiting to see some evidence of abuse, but instead found none! It seemed like the donkeys were the ones in control. I would like to know what part of this is cruel? From the video none of these animals looked scared or hurt. I have played this game once and I got abused not the donkey! 20 years around horses gives me insight as well.
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2-24-2010 @ 2:35PM
Kevin Taylor said...I suggest the donkeys take a dump on PETA.
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2-24-2010 @ 3:11PM
larryz said...PETA = ASSES; just like the "ocean kittens" (their idiotic euphamism for fish), what they do is soley for reaction, not because any sane person would agree. OK, PETA, protect the donkeys - let's use their members as the asses instead!
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2-24-2010 @ 2:40PM
jeff said...PETA=Retarded waste of time and money...try getting real jobs, ass holes
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2-24-2010 @ 2:42PM
ssmith94015 said...PETA, just another group trying to push their values onto the rest of us. I prefer People Eating Tasty Animals. I don't condone cruelty to animals (or humans), but they just get carried away. Like vegetarians and vegans shoving their views (chrisitans too, but that is another post) on to others. LET ME EAT WHAT I WANT and shut up. Nothing like having a dinner party and one person ruins it for all (we finally simply asked him to leave). If this is the worst that donkeys endure, they are lucky. PETA should go to where donkeys are used to haul ore out of mines, or many of the other uses they are put to and beaten for it.
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2-24-2010 @ 2:49PM
fymayawf said...screw PETA
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2-24-2010 @ 2:51PM
Bill T. said...maybe the donkey's are having fun as well....screw peta
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2-24-2010 @ 2:59PM
Doc Frost said...PETA desperately uses every ploy to stay in the news. After all, it's big business for them to attract members and financial supporters to pay their staff. Donkey ball games have been around for years without any major complaints until now. Also, comparing the rubber duck project of three Rotary clubs in a larger metro area to this small town traditional fund raiser is absurd . . . but so is PETA.
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2-24-2010 @ 2:57PM
TomW said...I wonder how a terrorist group like PETA got its foot hold? Probably with endorsements of actors. They deal with their issue with threats and bullying and that concerns me. In this they are contacting "concerned humans" to go after a school in Nevada to prevent them from doing something that does not harm the donkeys, PETA just doesn't like the idea of having them ridden for amusement. We have several ultra leftwing organizations in America who approach their work with threats of violence and when somone does violence, they idolize that person as a hero. Sort of like what Al Qaeda does. You get to be a big hero if you harm someone, bully them, cause fear...yay for you. Maybe there should be an oranization that organizes boycotts of actors and shows that support PETA but do it with just boycotts and not assaults or fires or violence.
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2-24-2010 @ 2:59PM
mark said...For those who think that we (Humans) should not use animals for our entertainment should never ask their dog to sit up or roll over.
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2-24-2010 @ 3:02PM
Lee said...Anyone who complains about abuse to donkeys has obviosly never been around them...Donkeys were bread for hard manual labor and are extremely tough and rugged animals...To consider this abuse is akin to ignorance.
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2-24-2010 @ 3:02PM
Dee said...This looks like great fun!!! Wish I weren't a senior citizen and could participate. As far as cruelty to the donkeys, I didn't see any.
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2-24-2010 @ 3:07PM
Jerry said...Send all Peta people to Afganistan.
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2-24-2010 @ 3:09PM
Evelyn said...It's been 30 years since I graduated high school in California, but even back then, there was a loooong tradition of a annual faculty vs students baketball game on donkeys. I now live in WA State, and they play donkey basketball here too. I applaud PETA;s efforts to keep animals safe. I am an animal lover myself. But why are they tageting only this one school and where have they been all these years? If they're going to go after people who play this game, at least be uniform and go after ALL of them.
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