Working donkeys provide essential livelihoods for millions of families globally, and welfare assessment must account for both work context and individual animal wellbeing.
Working donkey welfare assessment requires cultural sensitivity and practical understanding: welfare improvements that are unaffordable or incompatible with livelihoods will not be adopted. The most effective welfare interventions — harness improvement, regular hoof care, appropriate loading — are also those that extend the working life of animals that families depend on. Welfare and livelihoods arguments for the same interventions create stronger adoption than welfare arguments alone. Brooke's community-based approach demonstrates how culturally appropriate welfare improvement can achieve sustainable changes in millions of working donkey lives.