PETA Rallies Supporters to Demand That School Bench Donkey Basketball Game in Hurt

Educators Have No Business Giving Lessons in Cruelty, Says Group

For Immediate Release:
February 9, 2010

Contact:
Desiree Acholla 757-622-7382

Hurt, Va. -- After learning that Faith Christian Academy has scheduled a "donkey basketball" game for Thursday, February 11, PETA has posted an action alert on its popular Web site asking caring citizens to contact the school's administrator, Lisa Moore, and urge her to cancel the cruel event and replace it with an activity that doesn't involve live animals.

PETA points out that donkeys used in basketball games are often dragged, kicked, or hit by stray balls and are sometimes seriously injured in falls. Hauled around in cramped trailers, the donkeys are denied proper exercise. Food and water are often withheld before games in an effort to prevent unsightly "accidents." The noise and chaos of the games are extremely stressful for the donkeys, and even though experts agree that the animals are only able to bear a little more than 100 pounds, the donkeys are typically forced to carry full-grown adults in donkey basketball games.

The games also pose a risk to human participants. An Illinois man was awarded more than $110,000 after being injured in a donkey basketball game. During another donkey basketball game, a Wisconsin state senator fell off a donkey and broke her leg.

Donkey basketball games have been put out to pasture in many areas of the country. The principal of Bremen High School in Midlothian, Ill., canceled a planned donkey basketball game, stating, "Based on what I know, I would not be a responsible principal if I let this go on." The Monmouth County Education Association in New Jersey instituted a ban on donkey basketball games, and Pennsylvania's Northwestern School District agreed to ban the use of any live animals for entertainment purposes.

"Besides putting people's safety at risk, abusive events such as donkey basketball give students a lesson in cruelty," says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "Faith Christian Academy should be promoting competitions that feature only willing human participants."

For more information, please visit PETA.org.