An estimated 40 million donkeys work in agriculture and transport in low- and middle-income countries, often under harsh conditions that cause preventable suffering.
Working donkeys provide essential livelihoods for some of the world's poorest communities, and improving their welfare directly benefits their owners by maintaining their ability to work. The welfare challenges are largely preventable: wound-causing harnesses can be replaced with better designs; dehydration can be addressed through more frequent water breaks; overloading can be reduced through community education. Organisations working in this field combine welfare improvement with livelihood protection, recognising that the two goals are complementary rather than competing.