Superintendent and and Anacortes WA School Board Members:
The key to preventing cruelty is education. What message are you sending by allowing a game of "donkey ball" to be held on school premises, promoting animal cruelty by and turning it into a game and a laughing matter? Kicking, yanking, whipping and shoving gentle donkeys is not a game or a sport.
Your job as public servants is to serve as examples and demonstrate kindness and responsibility to animals and towards others. "Donkey ball" is an abusive practice. Do you consider such mistreatment of animals to be part of your educational materials and programs? Is this how the public schools partner with students, family, friends and teachers to humanely and responsibly interact with our natural world? Is this how schools promote to value and protect what we know and care about?
By hosting "donkey ball" on school property, the Anacortes School District is in effect promoting the kicking, yanking, whipping and shoving of animals. It is sending the message that it is ok to do this to animals and also to others including pets and promoting animal cruelty.
I was shocked to see that "donkey ball" would be held in my own community and on school grounds. It is a living example of animal neglect and cruelty in schools and does not promote kindness and responsibility.
I know that in previous years, people involved with animal welfare have asked for a stop to this practice. Other schools have received negative publicity for holding such an event. What needs to happen to create a change in the Anacortes School District.
I teach my children and grandchildren to value and care for other creatures. I have also told them to observe how people treat animals as how they do this gives a strong indication of how they will treat people.
Dr. Mark Wenzel Superintendent
“We care” is a good way to sum it up. We care about each other.
Phone: 360-293-1210
mwenzel@asd103.org
Jennifer Tottenham, Assistant to the Superintendent
Phone: 360-293-1211
jtottenham@asd103.org
School Board Members:
Jeannette Papadakis
President
Term ends: 2015
jpapadakis@asd103.org
Bobbilyn Hogge
Term ends : 2013
bhogge@asd103.org
Dr. Lynne Lang
Term ends : 2015
llang@asd103.org
Karl Yost
WIAA Representative
Term ends: 2015
karlyost@asd103.org
Erin Rieger
Term ends: 2017
erieger@asd103.org
Tina Franulovich-Martin, Cultural Education Coordinator
Phone: 360-299-1850
tmartin@asd103.org
— Reporter Kera Wanielista
360-416-2141
kwanielista@skagitpublishing.com
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