DOG RIDIN' MONKEY RACES WILL GO ON AT ILLINOIS FAIR

Organizers of an Illinois county fair said the yearly Banana Derby — a race involving monkeys riding on the backs of dogs — will go on despite objections. Sandra Hart, a member of the Lake County Board, wrote a letter signed by the majority of the board’s members calling on the fair to cancel the derby, which is a traveling show that performs at multiple fairs around the country and has been part of the Lake County event for several years. She says, “When you dress them up in little jockey outfits, and have them running around a ring like that, it kind of exploits those animals.” In defense of the act, Philip Dolci, promoter of the Banana Derby, said the three monkeys in the attraction are treated well. He said the monkeys enjoy performing, especially a trick in which one of the primates gives out handshakes in exchange for a dollar bill. “We cook for them, we clean for them, my mom and wife make clothes for them.” Dolci says the dogs in the attraction are all rescue dogs. He said he builds a bond between the monkeys and the dogs by having the primates help feed the canines. The Lake County Fair begins July 29, with the Banana Derby races planned for all five days of the fair.
* It’s time for Americans to take a stand, before the dog ridin’ monkey police come after your dog ridin’ monkey.
* The main problem is the diet pills they give the moneys to keep them small.
* It’s the scourge of drug addiction. Everyone of these dogs has a monkey on its back.
* There’s also a real problem with dog-riding monkey gambling.