Animal Cruelty Charges May Result from Parasailing Donkey Stunt

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Baby donkeyBeach-goers at a resort at the Sea of Azov in southern Russia were horrified by what was meant to be an advertising stunt for a nearby resort. Employees from the resort strapped a donkey to a parachute towed by a speedboat to advertise parasailing at the resort.

Instead of attracting tourists, the stunt upset many of the vacationers at the beach and caused children to burst into tears as the donkey brayed in fear overhead. The donkey floated above the beach for approximately half an hour before enduring a rough landing in the water and being dragged out onto the shore.

London newspaper The Guardian quoted a local woman who recognized the animal. “This is a little town and we all know that donkey well,” she said. “He worked for several years on the beach, being photographed with tourists. As soon as his ordeal was over, a lot of the people on the beach ran forward to soothe him.”

Though the donkey was strapped into the parasailing rig in front of beach-goers, many of whom took photos and video with their cell phones, no one stopped the men from carrying out the plan.

“The donkey screamed and children cried,” police spokeswoman Larisa Tuchova told reporters. “No one had the brains to call police.”

In the end, the publicity stunt has backfired on its organizers. They are being questioned by police and can face up to two years in jail if found guilty of animal cruelty charges.

Donkeys and other equines are often victims of cruelty across the globe. Their use as beasts of burden leaves them vulnerable to being overworked in third-world countries. Additionally, donkeys are often mistreated in the tourism industry where they are used to pull and carry visitors with little regard to appropriate size ratio of equine to passenger. When their useful days are over, the animals are often let loose to fend for themselves on city streets.

Learn more about helping donkeys and horses internationally.
International Charities Help Equine Victims of Poverty
The Brooke
The Donkey Sanctuary
World Society for the Protection of Animals

23 COMMENTS

  1. The fools who did this horrible act should be strapped to a parachute then lowered into a pool of piranah and let them scream their “ass” off!!!

  2. I hope these bastards rot in Hell where they belong! No animal should be treated cruelly! Give me 10 minutes alone with these jerks!

  3. The only thing worse than these so-called businessmen doing this horrific thing, is, the fact that others stood around, took pictures & videos, and did nothing to stop it!

  4. Protect these animals!These animal organizations are getting very smart. There is a new pro-animal site geared towards the press–totally free–that is massively distributing their pro-animal video. The video is showing up on MTV, NBC, etc. A CNN story that just aired is at http://freeanimalvideo.org/about

  5. I wish people would stop before they do some of these crazy stunts and think of the animal’s feelings. The world would be a much better place! I hope these people are punished.

  6. While it would have been better if people had voiced their disapproval before the tragic act occurred, at least there was a public outcry in the end. As long a people unite and
    don’t patronize people or organization that engage in abusive acts toward animals there’s hope for the future.

  7. Some people should NEVER have an animal in their care. The employees are a prime example.
    And shame on the onlookers for doing nothing about it until after the fact.

  8. The name of the resort should be all over the news. I hope they do go to jail, and I would be even more happy if they went bankrupt as well. A half an hour is a long time to listen to ANYTHING scream. It was totally ignorant and mean to do that to any animal in the first place, but there is NO POSSIBLE EXCUSE for not pulling it down after hearing that first minute of screaming. That should have gotten the message across to the slowest brain. You don’t need language to understand screaming.

  9. What does an equine have to do in this world to get a little respect? These people are a disgrace to animal owners everywhere. I hope they are sued for every penny they have!

  10. Would a person have to go to jail for making another person parasail? That would be ridiculous. Definitely not for two years. So why make a person go to jail for making a donkey parasail? It didn’t harm the donkey, only scared it

  11. RE: Would a person have to go to jail for making another person parasail? That would be ridiculous. Definitely not for two years. So why make a person go to jail for making a donkey parasail? It didn’t harm the donkey, only scared it
    It is this kind of mentality that leads to animal cruelty. I am sure this loser proabably shot small birds with bb guns as a kid and kicks dogs now. Loser.

  12. “RE: Would a person have to go to jail for making another person parasail? That would be ridiculous. Definitely not for two years. So why make a person go to jail for making a donkey parasail? It didn’t harm the donkey, only scared it” YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING!! HELLO??!! The big difference here…. a person isn’t (made) to parasail, they have a choice– the poor little donkey didn’t! He was forced against his will— AND THAT MY FRIEND IS SO WRONG. YES the cruel act deserves jail time (and more than two years)!!!!

  13. I am horrified at this article and want to know whats being done for that poor distreseds donkey why did no body intervene I am always getting into helping any animal so much so I rescued a heron gull while on holiday in Devon last week untill I could find a rescue centre that would take it. I want to be able to teach these russians a thing of looking after their animals.

  14. In regards to the comment … “The name of the resort should be all over the news …” That was one of my first thoughts as well, but, as I got to think about it I figured IF they got the name of the place on world news coverage, they would have accomplished what they had set out to do … notoriety & publicity. Maybe not knowing the name of the place works out better …

  15. I saw a story about this on BBC America, and I could not believe my eyes. Watching that poor donkey “parasailing” while baying in fear was one of the most horrible acts of animal cruelty I had ever seen/heard of–on TV or anywhere. I hope that the people who did to him are punished to the full extent of the law. Too bad punishment no longer includes the archaic “hang, draw and quartering.”

  16. How stupid are these people!!! That poor donkey! Did the owner allow them to do this? if so he should be punished too. These people deserve fines and jail time-I hate seeing people seriously hurting animals only to get a slap on the wrists!

  17. who the h*** would be dumb enough to be that inconsiderate to animals? that donkey could have drowned! and they TIED the donkey to the parasail thing!

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