08/19/24 Donkey Races - Like a Parent Riding a Child
Animal Friends Urge Local Communities to Stop Promoting Animal Cruelty as a Tourist Attraction
Tourism at the Expense of Animals; Legal Violations and the Message That It's Fun to Abuse Donkeys
Summer in some Croatian tourist towns can't pass without the disturbing spectacle of donkey races. Towns like Crikvenica, Tribunj, Vodnjan, Posedarje, Tisno, and others, whose tourist boards lack imagination and empathy, entertain tourists by organizing events where riders, mostly men, loudly ride donkeys, their feet dragging on the ground. The gathered crowds, including many children, receive the message that exploiting and mistreating animals is acceptable. In response, Animal Friends has written to cities and municipalities, urging them not to exploit animals for tourism promotion, but they only received a reply from a farm renting donkeys for the races, claiming they use donkeys for such purposes to "preserve them."
"Preserving breeds and local traditions shouldn't come at the expense of animals, which is exactly what happens during donkey races. Animals are burdened with heavy human loads and forced to run, leading to tissue deformation in their backs due to the weight of the rider, causing pain. Shocked citizens and foreign tourists report they can't believe anyone would find joy in abusing animals. Exposure to high temperatures, combined with the exertion during races, can lead to serious consequences for donkeys, such as dehydration and heatstroke. Riders, often much larger than the donkeys, further exacerbate the animals' suffering by subjecting them to harmful loads. These bizarre scenes look as if an adult were riding a large dog. Equally absurd would be a competition where elementary school children are forced to carry their parents on their backs," Animal Friends warns.
They add that the races are accompanied by loud shouting and cheering from the audience, which is also stressful for the donkeys. To avoid "accidents" during the races, donkeys are deprived of food and water for hours before the event. Some riders even strike their donkeys to make them run faster. "Such events violate the Animal Protection Act, which prohibits forcing animals into unnatural behavior and causing pain, suffering, injury, or fear. Furthermore, organizing these races normalizes the abuse and exploitation of the vulnerable as family entertainment," Animal Friends emphasizes.
They stress that protecting donkeys and preserving native breeds can be promoted without riding them: "Preserving a breed does not mean exploiting it for entertainment or economic gain, but rather providing it with as natural living conditions as possible, so it can genuinely fulfill its role in the ecosystem. Animal sanctuaries are examples of how education among children can be excellently conducted without riding or other forms of exploitation. Visitors to farms can be allowed to interact with and photograph the donkeys and offered workshops and lectures on their historical role and current significance in the ecosystem. Events can feature donkey exhibitions, creative workshops, preservation program presentations, and similar activities."
The organization calls on local authorities not to issue permits for such races, not to sponsor events involving animal cruelty, and to seek alternative ways of promoting tourism that do not involve the exploitation of animals. They also appeal to citizens to report donkey races and similar events to the State Inspectorate and to request that local communities refrain from organizing such primitive events that undermine animal welfare and violate the Animal Protection Act.
"Do we really want such shameful images to circulate the world and represent Croatian tourism?" ask Animal Friends. They point out that animals are not willing participants in any competition and that, in the 21st century, we should evolve and understand that animals do not exist for our entertainment.
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