As a student at our local Cook County High School, I support its fundraisers and needs in order to keep a sustainable school. However, Donkey Ball, a game played in the high school’s gym with actual donkeys, is one type of fundraiser. The article in the newspaper stated that it “makes for a hilarious competition!” It is a family-oriented time, a decade-old tradition for many different schools, and fun to watch, but what is happening behind the scenes?
This game teaches children a lesson. But not a good one. It teaches us that we don’t have to respect the lives that are below us, the underdogs, the losers. We are supposed to be taught that when somebody is disrespected, we need to stand up for them and help. In this case, the donkeys are the underdogs, and I am trying to help them.
Dairyland Donkey Ball LLC, the company that provides the donkeys, doesn’t tell us this, but according to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the donkeys are deprived of food and water hours before the “games.” This is to prevent them from having accidents inside of the gym during the game. This is animal abuse.
PETA is also aware of the mistreatment of the donkeys used for this game. Their complaint is that the donkeys are often “pulled, shoved, screamed at, or whipped when they don’t want to ‘play.’” No animal wants to be treated this way, and no animal should be treated this way.
I am absolutely astonished that our very own Cook County High School would participate in the abuse of innocent animals. There is still time to inform the school of what they are doing. We need to take action and make the animal abuse stop.
Nina Woerheide
Lutsen
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