An estimated 40 million donkeys work globally, often in severe welfare conditions; targeted veterinary care, owner education, and charity work dramatically improve outcomes.
Working donkeys occupy a unique welfare position: they are both economic assets and animals with complex needs, in contexts where owners may lack resources and knowledge to provide adequate care. This is not a situation of indifference but of poverty and ignorance - many working donkey owners care about their animals but cannot afford veterinary care or are unaware of basic welfare needs like regular water access and harness fit. NGO programs providing free or subsidized veterinary treatment combined with owner education achieve dramatic welfare improvements in working donkey populations. The emerging skin trade adds conservation and welfare dimensions that require different interventions.