Donkeys are working animals for hundreds of millions of people worldwide, often experiencing severe welfare problems while providing essential livelihoods.
Working donkeys are frequently undervalued and under-resourced by their owners, not through cruelty but through poverty and lack of veterinary access. Welfare problems including harness sores, laminitis, and respiratory disease are common but often untreated. The ejiao trade has created a crisis, with donkey populations being decimated in Africa and Latin America. Organizations like The Donkey Sanctuary provide veterinary outreach and harness fitting programs that directly improve welfare.