Donkey basketball is a variation on the standard game of basketball, played on a standard basketball court, but in which the players ride donkeys. A donkey basketball game is usually staged as a one-shot fundraising event, typically in public schools. Commercial firms provide donkeys and equipment, splitting the proceeds with the hiring party. Donkey basketball has been practiced in the United States since the 1930s.
Donkey basketball has been targeted by animal rights groups who claim that the sport is cruel to animals, for reasons such as the inexperience of participants with handling the donkeys. Promoters counter that the events are supervised and the animals are treated humanely.
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