Petition to ban seaside donkey rides reaches signature milestone

Campaigners want to ban donkey rides at the seaside - calling them "outdated and cruel".

Transcript

00:00For many, a trip to the seaside is synonymous with ice creams, buckets and spades, and of

00:06course donkey rides. But could we be about to say goodbye to the latter? Campaigners

00:11want to ban them, calling the rides outdated and cruel. But a donkey ride firm thought

00:16to be Britain's oldest has hit back, saying the animals are happy and well looked after.

00:21An online petition on change.org was set up at the start of August called Ban the Use

00:25of Donkeys and Horses for Beach Rides in Western Supermare. Becca Huller, who started

00:30the petition, said these animals are often subjected to long hours of work in high temperatures

00:35with limited access to water and shade, which compromise their wellbeing. In addition, carrying

00:40weight on their backs regularly leads to debilitating health conditions. However, Richard Warburton,

00:45who's worked for Western Donkeys for over 40 years, said my donkeys and the donkeys

00:49along the Western Beach are all looked after. But what do you think? Is the tradition a

00:54cherished part of local culture or an outdated practice that should be reconsidered? And

00:58do you think current regulations are sufficient to ensure the wellbeing of beachfront donkeys?