Should Donkey Basketball Be Banned?

A school in Anacortes is taking some heat over their fundraising event. They are having a donkey basketball game on January 18th at the Anacortes Middle School for the Anacortes Eagles No. 249.

Donkey basketball has been played at various schools around our valley for as long as I can remember. If your not familiar with the event it's when players ride on donkeys while trying to make baskets.

An animal shelter in Sultan has organized an email and phone campaign to get the school to stop the donkey basketball game. They believe this encourages kids to humiliate a weaker individual. The animals are stressed by heavy riders and the loud environments. Sometimes they are denied food and water before a game so that they don't soil on the gym floor. There's also a risk to the participates riding the donkeys who could get injured.

Donkey Sports who is providing the donkeys for the game released a statement saying that the referees insure heavy riders and cruel behavior towards the animals are not permitted. The donkeys are fed before games and watered right after and not given anything to keep them from producing waste. None of their animals have ever been injured or become sick and it raises thousands of dollars for local charities.

I'm an animal lover to some degree, but aren't donkeys supposed to carry heavy things? What's next ... no PBR because it's not good for the bulls to carry riders and buck around? It might throw their backs out?

Do you think donkey basketball should be banned?