School districts ban donkey basketball under pressure from PETA

School districts ban donkey basketball under pressure from PETA

Associated Press - May 3, 2009 1:25 PM ET

MORAVIA, Iowa (AP) - While donkey basketball remains popular in Iowa, Nebraska and other rural states, some school districts have discontinued the fundraising events because of pressure from animal-rights groups.

The Portland Public Schools in Oregon have banned donkey basketball, as have districts in Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

In March, a donkey basketball game scheduled for Kuna (KOO-nuh), Idaho, was canceled after an activist for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals started a petition drive.

Bruce Wick is owner of Washington-based Donkey Sports. Wick says his business still does about 150 donkey games a year and that he doesn't worry much about groups such as PETA. He says when animal-rights groups protest, it brings more people to watch.

On the Net:

Buckeye Donkey Ball Co.: http://www.donkeyball.com/

http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/story.asp?S=10293895&nav=menu605_2

Mind you this was way long time ago. It was the Teachers vs. All-Star players from our Boys & Girls squad (and I think there was a local celeb involved too). I was Student Council VP and I remember spending a few hours out there with the Donkeys with the Student Council Prez - she had just broken up with her boyfriend and was using it as an excuse to avoid him for a few classes and I figured "why not" I'll go too.

The Donkey's seem fine but I could see the issue - it got pretty rough out there on the basketball court.

I don't agree with a lot of what they do, but they still have a valuable role as the "anchor" out there on the fringe.

...but make no mistake, they're on the loony fringe.