To the Editor:
There is still time for Margaretville Central School to schedule a more humane and innovative fundraiser than a donkey basketball game. It’s 2015 and good sports don’t abuse animals.
There’s no denying the donkeys used in these events are roughly handled by wound up participants more intent about impressing their friends than treating these gentle, personable animals with the care they deserve. Instead of grazing in fields and socializing with friends, donkeys used by these outfits are loaded and unloaded into trucks and hauled around from one event to the next. They are forced to participate in something that doesn’t make sense to them and are bombarded with screaming kids, bullhorns, and whistles.
It’s puzzling for any school to encourage bullying by holding these fundraisers, and it’s also odd that administrators are opening themselves up to liability issues. People can and have been hurt when donkeys balk at participating.
Surely the folks who organized this event are creative enough to come up with a fun event in which no one is harmed. Any school still condoning this cruel spectacle deserves a failing grade.
Sincerely,
Jennifer O'Connor
Staff Writer
PETA Foundation
Norfolk, VA
