A beach holiday in the English tourist town of Blackpool just isn't the same without a seaside ride on a donkey for the little one--it's one of those quirky traditions that has made Blackpool such a famous vacation spot in the UK. But new animal cruelty rules will soon ban overweight kids from taking the traditional donkey rides. According to this article from The Daily Mail, riders must weight less than 8 stone (112 lbs) in order to ride the donkeys, meaning the ride is open to normal-sized children and Nicole Richie.

And that's just the beginning of the new labour regulations for the Blackpool beach donkeys -- they also must have one day off a week, they must be cleared for labour by a vet and they must be allowed at least an hour's rest either at lunchtime or in the evening.

It's hoped that these regulations will help set the standard for the rights of asses around the world (sorry, I couldn't resist.)

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