Call to Action: Help Stop This Barbaric Donkey Roping Event!
Reader Camilla alerted us to this post rallying equine lovers against an upcoming donkey roping event at the Van Horn Frontier Days festival in Van Horn, Texas. Part of the post is excerpted below.
Donkey roping is a cruel and abusive practice that includes two cowboys chasing a donkey and roping the neck and hind feet for a score and prize money.
Donkeys do not handle this kind of abuse well at all, especially when it is repeated over and over and over again. Unlike calves, who are never roped more than a few times because they are too valuable to damage, donkeys in Texas have no monetary value. Because of this, these donkeys are roped over and over again until they either shut down completely from terror and trauma or are too maimed to continue.
Meredith says: “I have been promoting and training mules and donkeys for more than 36 years, and I can tell you without reservation that this IS animal abuse. These donkeys you are using for your sport in this capacity will be ruined for any normal recreational purpose in the future by anyone else and will result in their demise.”
Please take a moment to contact the Van Horn Chamber of Commerce (one of the supporters) and ask them to put a stop to this. Their contact info is:
P.O. Box 762
Van Horn, Texas 79855
(432) 283-2043, Monday – Friday
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
patriciagolden@vanhorntexas.org
Visit the original post for more information.
June 22, 2012 UPDATE
The following text was added to this petition protesting the event and was sent to us by organizer Diana.
Jason Owen told Newswest9 in his interview that he “bought them off a slaughter truck and they were “skin and bones” Assuming that this was even true, why would anyone waste their time slaughtering skinny donkeys? If you are going to harvest something for its meat, wouldn’t you want them fat and happy?
Here are all facts according to the Presidio USDA inspector who is a friend of Mark Meyers of PVDR:
“Slaughter is off the table. From Van Horn the only crossing into Mexico is through Presidio. Slaughter bound trucks never carry donkeys. The only donkeys that have crossed for slaughter were picked up close to the border and transported to a village where they were slaughtered for local consumption as cheap meat. “
Please help in politely convincing Jason to give the donkeys to PVDR.
Also I was informed this morning that there are a number of people going to Van Horn tomorrow. I need to stress that there should be no confrontations started by the petition supporters. Please observe and report, take photos and video. Be professional. Stay on target!
If you see donkeys being roped or abused in any manner call the Sheriff’s Office at 432-283-2060.
I have notified the reporter that did the story on Newswest9 that some supporters are going so they may send a crew.