""Prima Donkey," decked out in pointe shoes and pearls, was supposed to spend the summer practicing arabesques on a prime comer near Mazza Gallerie. But life on the streets of Washington can be rough. It was scuffed up. Bubble gum was stuck in its eyes. Vandals left its tutu in tatters.

After just a few weeks in the limelight, "Prima Donkey" sought asylum in a makeshift animal shelter with two other refugees from Union Station. They may never return.

"None of us really had an idea of just how much damage could come to the animals," said Lou Stovall, vice chairman of the D.C. Arts Commission. "I guess that was all our own innocence."

About 15 of the 200 elephant and donkey sculptures in the "Party Animals" street-art project have been similarly traumatized. "L.E. Phant," dressed as a lawyer outside the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, was robbed of his briefcase about a week ago. "The Devine Miss Donkey" had her necklace stolen at Massachusetts Avenue and P Street. And "Borrico Rico," in front of the Washington Convention Center, is in "serious trouble," Stovall said, after his ear was sliced off.

The vandalism began about a week after the first 10 plastic sculptures went up around the District in late April. Graffiti was sprayed on "Lucky Don Keystadore," located in front of Capital City Brewing Company. The attack stung the commission more than a face full of mace. "We were just horrified," Stovall said. "I guess there are just certain people who see something like that and find it irresistible to add their own comment."

Graffiti is one of the most common problems. It has ranged from the anarchy symbol sprayed on "Lilyphant" by the north entrance to Metro's Dupont Circle station to expletives scrawled on "Media Circus" at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Artist Jody Bergstresser's elephant, "Brownstone, Marble and Trees," near the south entrance to the Dupont Circle Metro, was inexplicably covered in ketchup.

"I think it's random people that just don't have a life," said Alexandra MacMaster, project manager for the D.C. Arts Commission. "Really, we need to get them into some kind of boot camp."

At least, she added, the vandals are bipartisan: About an equal number of elephants and donkeys have been damaged.

Washington isn't the only city to have its public art so publicly criticized. Stovall said the commission was warned about possible vandalism by other cities that experimented with street creatures. Chicago's celebrated "Cows on Parade" exhibit in 1999 suffered instances of cow-tipping, and three of the 300 sculptures were stolen. Toronto displayed 28 moose in 2000, only to have the antlers sawed off five of them. In St. Paul this month, a 5-foot, 400-pound statue of the "Peanuts" cartoon character Lucy was abducted.

In Washington, the arts commission has set up an "animal hospital" at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW for sculptures needing intensive care. The first two patients, an elephant and a donkey adorned with campaign stickers, made their debut at Union Station May 24 as "Two Tales of a City." Within four days, the tails were snatched and some of the stickers scraped off.

"Oh, I was crying!" said Louise Sagalyn, who created the animals with Leni Stern. "I was really sad that they looked so pathetic at that point."

She and Stern, both D.C. artists, spent a week with their animals at the hospital, nursing them back to health. "Prima Donkey" was admitted about a week later, and three other animals -- "Borrico Rico" and two sculptures near the Old Post Office Pavilion -- are on the waiting list for repairs.

Not all the animals need round-the-clock care, but most could use a good babysitter, someone to give them a bath and wash behind their ears.

Sandy Hazen, a volunteer for the commission, answered the call. For the past week and a half, armed with a Scotch extra-duty abrasive sponge and Power Paste foaming cleaner, she has trekked around town cleaning every elephant and donkey in sight. So far, she's whipped 111 animals into shape.

Other artists have taken it upon themselves to protect and defend their creations, MacMaster said.

"They have ownership of [the animals], and they feel they were so close to them from the beginning," she said. "It's almost like their babies."

Cheryl Foster, a District resident who created "Prima Donkey," said she has been through these growing pains with other public projects. She's confident that she and her donkey will pull through.

"I've adjusted," she said. "And he will bounce back with a brand new tutu."" (Ylan Q. Mui, The Washington Post, June 20, 2002).

Editor's Note: My own favorite is Florida Hybrid, which features political ballots and is still waiting for a sponsor.

Reportedly, sponsorship would put you out around $2,000.